


Unimaginable

by Victor_Nikiforovs_Cowlick



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Otabek Altin, Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Kidnapping, M/M, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Omega Yuri Plisetsky, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2018-11-14 21:28:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 18
Words: 91,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11216613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victor_Nikiforovs_Cowlick/pseuds/Victor_Nikiforovs_Cowlick
Summary: Married, bonded and retired - Yuuri and Victor's lives are no less than perfect. How could a weekend away in Berlin with Yuri and Otabek possibly change that?Quite dramatically actually.





	1. Berlin

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo this is my first ever fanfiction... but I had this idea and just felt compelled to write it!  
> This is going to end up being quite a dark fanfiction.... I am so sorry. 
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely Punkflame <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter is really short and really shit, I apologise :P 
> 
> Edited several times for spelling, grammar and general flow :)

What had Victor ever done to deserve such a wonderful husband? In the mere minutes they had been at their hotel in Berlin, Yuuri shoved him down onto the bed and began kissing him fervently whilst moving his hands down to Victor’s thighs. 

 

 Before he knew it, his whole length was in Yuuri’s mouth and was getting harder by the second. His legs were dangling off the side of the bed, his beautiful omega was knelt on the ground with his head between his thighs, gripping them in place whilst he licked, kissed and sucked. 

   
“Yuuri…” Victor said breathily, whilst running his hands through his lover’s soft hair. Yuuri hummed in response, causing Victor’s length to twitch and butterflies to beat in the pit of his stomach. “Jesus Yuuri, I’m getting close already…” 

   
Hearing this, Yuuri pulled his head up so that his eyes met Victor’s. Yuri popped the older man's member out of his mouth, raising his eyebrow. “This is just a taster for what I have planned for us this weekend my love, but maybe you can’t handle it?” Yuuri teased, his pink tongue darted out to lick all the way along Victor’s length. 

   
Victor moaned and writhed as much as he could with Yuuri’s iron grip on his legs.  

 

He loved this man. They were soulmates, and the two of them seemed to get closer with each passing day. Their sex life was always incredible, charged with the love and passion they felt for one another, and it somehow got even better since they bonded. 

 

 Yuuri knew how to push each of Victor’s buttons to get the reaction he wanted, and Victor loved every second. Victor’s eyes shot open and he gasped as Yuuri’s pace increased, licking his sensitive tip at the same time. Victor couldn’t help but buck his hips up, which just encouraged Yuuri further. 

   
“Oh God Yuuri… I’m gonna come…” Victor moaned through gritted teeth – he didn’t want this pleasure to end. Not for a long time. 

  

Yuuri glanced up at his lover, smirking with his unrelenting efforts to get Victor to come. 

 

“Yuuri!” Victor exclaimed as he came hard and fast down his lover’s throat, thrusting his hips up as he rode out his orgasm. His dick popped out of Yuuri’s mouth, who didn’t even stop to take a breath before reaching up to caress Victor’s face as he bent down to kiss him. “God I love you, Yuuri,”. His beautiful omega collapsed next to him, kissing down his neck and squeezing at his waist, hugging him close. 

   
“Not right now, my love,” Yuuri breathed out as Victor rolled onto his side and his hands made their way down Yuuri’s body. “But we will have a very fun night tonight,” He continued with a wink before sliding off the bed and making his way over to their suitcases to unpack. 

   
Victor simply sighed and lay on the bed, caught up for a moment in his bliss. Eventually, he pulled himself up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. By the time he had returned to the bedroom, his belongings had been neatly put away by Yuuri, who was looking out of the window with a slight frown on his face. 

   
“What’s wrong, my love?” Victor asked as he snaked his hands around Yuuri’s waist from behind and propping his head on Yuuri’s shoulder so that they could stare across the beautiful city together. 

   
Yuuri sighed. “I’m a bit nervous about being in such a large crowd today…" He paused to lean into his alpha's touches. "I know I’m using my scent blockers correctly but I’ve been paranoid like this since coming off of the suppressants,” 

 

In response, Victor gently squeezed Yuuri into a hug, and nuzzled into his neck. 

 

“I’m sorry, I know it’s silly,” Yuuri said as he turned to face Victor, who looked deep into his husband’s mesmerising eyes before leaning down for a gentle kiss. 

 

“It’s not silly at all, my love. If there is anything I can do to help, you know I will,” 

 

A faint smile grew on Yuuri’s lips “I love you, Victor,” 

   
“And I love you, Yuuri,” 

* * * * * 

“Come onnn, Beka!" Yuri whined, wrapping himself around the alpha. "It won’t matter if we are a little late!” 

   
“Later, kitten,” Otabek said, prying Yuri’s arms from around his shoulders, earning an over-exaggerated pout from his boyfriend.  

 

Otabek couldn’t help but chuckle as he turned to kiss Yuri, placing his hand gently on the back of his head and stroking the silky blonde locks. Yuri sighed when their lips parted, releasing his grip on Otabek, who was still laughing quietly. 

 Although the omega had matured over the years, especially since presenting, his feisty personality still very much remained. 

   
Otabek turned to the hotel wardrobe, where his crisply ironed shirts hung alongside a small collection of woollen jumpers, and he began picking out his clothes to wear for their evening at the markets. 

 

 Meanwhile, Yuri was rooting through his suitcase of haphazardly packed clothing, attempting to find some warm enough garments for the chilly night. 

   
About half an hour later, they were heading out of the hotel. Otabek had had to make Yuri change twice so that the younger man didn’t freeze to death (“I’m from Russia for God sake! I think I can handle the cold!”), so they were running slightly behind. 

 

 Yuri took out his phone to find a message from Victor. 

   
“Hi Yurio! Yuuri and I are at the markets now, meet us in the pub named Olga’s?” 

   
“They’re at one of the pubs, do you know where that is?” Yuri asked, showing Otabek the message. Otabek pulled out a small map of the markets from his pocket. 

 

“It’s about a 5 minute walk away from here, luckily,” 

   
“Let’s get going then!” Yurio exclaimed, flipping his scarf over his shoulder. The lift doors slid open, and Otabek found himself being practically pulled through the hotel lobby by the hand. He had plans for this weekend, and he wanted to make every moment he had with Yuri special.


	2. The Markets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left Kudos on the previous chapter! I really enjoyed writing it and couldn't wait to post a new one, so here it is!

Yuuri could feel that his face was already flushed pink from the three mulled wines he had drank whilst waiting for Yuri and Otabek to arrive. The atmosphere in the pop-up pub was so welcoming, everyone slightly giddy from drink, the stress of Christmas shopping forgotten amongst the beauty of the markets. Yuuri glanced around, taking in the sights whilst keeping an eye out for the other couple – there were so many stalls to visit and he was keen to get going.

  
“There they are!” exclaimed Victor, standing up and frantically waving towards the entrance of the pub.

Yuri was absolutely unmissable in a knee-length brown fur coat, leopard print scarf and matching beanie hat. Otabek was dressed much more conservatively but fashionable nonetheless.

  
“Nice get-up, Yurio,” Yuuri teased as he came to sit at their table.

  
“I look fucking fabulous and you know it,” Yuri replied. Otabek had gone straight to the bar to get his round in, returning with 4 steaming mugs of mulled wine. The four skaters chatted over their drinks as if they had never spent time apart. Yuuri giggled and squeezed Victor’s hand under the table, reminiscing of their time in a similar bar in Barcelona, when he and Victor had announced their engagement. His husband wrapped him arm around his waist in reply and gave him a gentle hug, also momentarily lost in his memories.

  
“Are you two even listening?! Beka reckons we ought to get going soon!” Yuri said as he kicked Victor’s shin from underneath the table. Yuuri hadn’t noticed how busy the bar had gotten – it seemed that people who had been out for dinner had now made their way into the pub for evening drinks. “Besides I want to see as much of this market as possible!”

  
They made their way out, each couple hand-in-hand. The markets really were beautiful – fairy lights strung from stall to stall, bright against the cloudless black sky. The air was heavy with the scent of food and pine trees, changing as they passed stalls selling cheeses, spices, incense, cured meats, perfumes and wines. It was wonderful, in a bizarre, overwhelming way. Every so often a stall would catch their eye and they would wander over to admire their products. Occasionally one of them would be recognised by skating fans, taking a few pictures or signing some autographs. Yuuri glanced at Yuri during one of their meetings, concerned as to how the young omega was going to deal with the situation. When Yuri was still a teenager, his fans would constantly hound him for pictures and autographs and awkward hugs – and Yuuri knew that was something the young omega struggled with. However, now Yuri had a genuinely shy smile on his face as he met his fans, apparently humbled by his ups and downs in his senior skating career.

“Wow, I’m starving! Shall we go and find something to eat?” Yuri asked as a small group of fans disappeared back into the crowd.

  
“Absolutely, I am really keen to find a hog roast whilst we’re here,” replied Yuuri, bracing himself for an onslaught of piggy jokes from Yuri, which never came.

  
“I’m alright thanks,” said Otabek “I want Victor to help me find a present for you anyway,”

  
“Really?! I need to get my Yuuri something too! Let’s go!” Victor squealed, taking Otabek by the arm. “Keep your phones on you, we will text you when we are done!”

  
“Will do Victor!” Yuuri chuckled, waving as his partner skipped off into the crowd with Otabek in tow. He breathed in the atmosphere, sighing contentedly. “Now, where is the food court?”

  
“It’s this way I think, follow me,” said Yuri, falling in step with the older omega. As they weaved in and out of the throng of people, they chatted about Yuri’s skating. A pang of envy hit Yuuri – although he was happy in his retirement in Japan with Victor, he did miss competitive skating. But he loved how the young man’s eyes lit up as he talked Yuuri through his latest routines – his themes, his music, his inspirations. Presenting as an omega right in the middle of his skating career had been very difficult for Yuri, and it was wonderful to see that his enthusiasm for the sport had returned in full force.

  
They both stood under a canopy in the food court, tucking into their juicy hog roast buns. Yuuri laughed as Yuri struggled to keep his sandwich together, apple sauce dripping down his hand dangerously close to his fur coat. Yuri threw a scrunched up napkin at Yuuri’s face in response, smirking as it bounced of the Japanese man’s glasses.

  
“How are you finding life off suppressants?” Yuri blurted out, eyes cast down to the ground.

  
“Oh… it’s alright, thanks for asking,” Yuuri replied, slightly taken aback by the question. It was quite uncharacteristic of Yuri to acknowledge the existence of the secondary genders. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t great, actually. Life without those side effects is very nice. The only downside is the unpredictable heats, and I get paranoid about using my scent blockers correctly,”

  
Yuri wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I want to come off them myself but I honestly don’t know what the right choice for me is. I know I would skate so much better without them… but I’m scared of being at a disadvantage by not being able to control my heats,”

  
Yuuri took their rubbish and took it over to the bins before they made their way back to the main markets. He pondered his friend’s situation for a moment. He had skated competitively both on and off suppressants, it was a difficult choice to make - not one he could make on behalf of the younger omega. “You have so many years of competing left in you, Yurio. Any decision you make doesn’t have to be forever,”

  
“What a diplomatic answer,” mumbled Yuri. “But what is your honest opinion?”

  
Yuuri frowned, knowing that the young omega looked up to him and was probably going to follow his advice.

“There’s nothing you can do about heats when they come. We aren’t given any leeway in competition regarding our status. Although the suppressants side effects aren’t fun, it’s probably the safer bet to stay on them whilst you are competing,” he concluded. He saw Yuri nod, taking in the advice. “Besides it would be super unfair to the other competitors if you skated without the side effects… they really wouldn’t stand a chance against you then!” Yuuri said as he elbowed Yuri lightly in the ribs, trying to lighten the mood a little.

  
The young omega smiled and blushed “If you say so, Katsudon,” before stopping dead in his tracks, eyes fixated on something a few feet ahead of him.

Yuuri turned to look, and it caught his eye immediately. Amongst the modest stalls in this area stood one that practically glittered, lighting up the alleyway with bright white light and tiny rainbow specks. They made their way over to the stand, mesmerised by its beauty. As they got closer, they saw that the source of all those rainbows was light pouring through hundreds of small glass figurines, each one unique and perfect.

  
“Hallo!” Said the motherly figure behind the display. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

  
“Oh I’m definitely getting one of these,” Yuri replied, making the woman smile warmly “Do you have any big cats?”

  
Yuuri chuckled as the woman pointed out some of the figurines that matched Yuri’s request. They were all very beautiful pieces. He wondered if Victor would like one. As Yuri was comparing figurines, she cleared her throat and blushed slightly.

  
“I’m so sorry, boys, I don’t mean to be rude…” She began, looking down at the floor “But are the two of you Olympic figure skaters?”

  
“Yes, we are! I am Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov and this is Yuri Plisetsky,” Yuuri replied with a smile. Yuri looked up from the glasswork to smile at her as well.

  
“Wunderbar!” she said, clapping her hands together “My daughter is a huge fan of yours. Would you mind meeting her? It really would make her day!”

  
“Of course!” replied Yuuri, glancing at Yuri to make sure the other omega was comfortable with meeting yet another fan, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that Yuri was still smiling.

The woman rushed out of the back of her stall, returning mere minutes later with a very small, very excitable 6-year-old girl clinging to her arm. The girl’s eyes widened and filled with tears when she saw the two skaters. She babbled in excited German to her mother, who translated for her.

  
“She says she can’t believe Yuri Plisetsky and Yuuri Katsuki are really buying her father’s artwork! She would love to get a picture with you and could you sign some photos?”

  
“Not a problem,” Yuri said with a smile, crouching down to the young girl’s level and holding his arms out. She practically jumped on him for the hug, nearly knocking the young omega to the ground as he laughed and ruffled her hair. Yuuri also leant down to give her a hug, before she turned towards her mother, her arms round each skater’s neck and a huge grin plastered on her face. A few photos were taken, and the two men rose to their feet again.

“Did you want us to sign some photos?”

  
The young girl grabbed them by the hands pulling them towards the back of the stall. She burst through into a large corridor-like set up, a canopy hanging from the rear of the stalls to adjacent caravans.

“My home!” she said, gesturing towards a modest caravan a few feet away.

The two omegas stood outside the door to her home as they heard drawers slamming and feet pounding from within, until the door burst open again and the young girl thrust two posters and black marker pens at them. Yuuri laughed and took his poster and signed it for her, and a man appeared behind the girl as he handed it back.

  
“Hallo! I am Katya’s father, thank you so much for meeting with her!” The man said, shaking Yuuri’s hand before turning to Yurio, still signing his poster. “This really has made her Christmas a very special one,” he beamed as Yurio handed her the poster.

  
“Merry Christmas!” The young girl exclaimed, before her father pulled her back into the caravan, thanking the young omegas once again and then locking the door.

  
“What a cutie! But we really should get back to Victor and Otabek now,” Said Yuuri, taking out his phone to look at the time.

  
“Yeah, let’s ge-,” Yurio’s voice was cut off suddenly, and Yuuri saw movement in his peripheral vision. He whipped around to face Yuri, whose eyes were wide with fear as a black-gloved hand was pressed against his mouth. Yuuri reached for the young omega, desperate to help him.

  
And then his world went black.


	3. Nerves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all once again for comments and Kudos! 
> 
> I've hopefully made this chapter a bit easier to read than the last two :)
> 
> NB. In this story, Omegas have special rights and protection laws. This includes that is a criminal offence to bond an omega without first being married to them - it makes omega weddings pretty complicated but it is deemed appropriate for their protection.

_Come on, Otabek, just ask him._

Otabek was exhausted by his own hesitancy. He needed to speak to Victor about his plans, but kept finding an excuse not to bring it up. But now, he was running out of time. Soon they would meet back up with Yuri and Yuuri, and his chance would be gone.

 

Victor was busy browsing a stall of handmade clothing, one of many he had dragged Otabek into in order to find gifts for Yuuri.

 

“Yurio might like some of the things in here! You’ve not looked at anything for him yet,”

 

Otabek was snapped back to reality by Victor’s comment. He was so busy building up his courage to even pretend to look for a gift. Of course, he had already bought Yuri’s present weeks ago.

 

“None of this is nearly tacky enough for Yuri’s taste,” He replied. Victor laughed, making jokes about leopard print and rhinestones, not noticing Otabek take a deep breath, steeling himself for the conversation ahead. “Can we go somewhere quieter? I want to talk to you about something,”

Victor’s smile disappeared. “Is everything alright?” he asked.

“Yes everything is great… better than great. That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Otabek replied quietly. He turned to leave the stall, Victor following behind him. Clearly he hadn’t been very reassuring, as even through the thick market air he could smell Victor’s pheromones, thick with trepidation. They weaved through the vast throngs of people until they reached a small side street away from the crowds.

 

“Victor… I know you and Yuri have always been close. He idolises you more than he would care to admit,” Otabek said with a nervous smile. “You understand him. He trusts you and therefore so do I,” He looked the older alpha in the eye, waiting for his response. All he saw was confusion. Dammit. He will need to get to the point soon. “I went to Moscow to visit Yuri’s Grandfather 2 weeks ago. But I feel the need to ask you too,” Otabek said, inhaling slowly. “Would you give me your blessing to ask Yuri to marry me?”

 

There was a pause. It was then Otabek realised that he had closed his eyes when he asked the question. He opened them slowly, meeting Victor’s eyes, which were wider than he had ever seen before. Victor’s mouth was also agape, before it transformed into a huge smile, tears welling up in his eyes. Otabek was practically jumped on, cocooned in Victor’s arms.

 

“Of course of course of course!!!” Victor screamed. “Tell me everything!”

 

A weight had lifted itself from his shoulders – literally, in the form of Victor releasing him from his grasp; and figuratively, because he was so relieved that Victor approved. He was well aware of how protective the alpha could be over Yuri, how he was pretty much a father figure to him.

 

“I love Yuri with all my heart. I would do anything for him,” the younger alpha explained. “I want to make it perfect. My plan was to propose tomorrow when we visit Charlottenburg Palace…” Otabek felt himself blushing. Before meeting Yuri he never considered himself the romantic type. He had done so much research before their trip and came across a beautiful picture of a bridge with the palace as a backdrop. He knew instantly if he was going to propose, then that was the place.

 

Victor was practically sobbing now. He bombarded Otabek with questions, jumping up and down like an excited child. Otabek patiently answered all of Victor’s questions, feeling his blush deepen further and suppressing the grin forming on his face. However, he was not done with his questions for Victor just yet.

 

“Do you think he will say yes, Victor?” Barely above a whisper. “He can be so uncomfortable with his omega status… I don’t want him to think it’s just an excuse to bond him,”

“Well, is it?” Victor asked, almost harshly.

“What? N-no!” Otabek stammered. Victor placed his hands on Otabek’s shoulders, squeezing them slightly and locking eyes with the shorter alpha.

 

“That boy adores you, Otabek. You’re all he talks about. You’ve been together for 4 years now, you would have married him a long time ago if all you wanted to do was bond with him. That, or you would have just moved on. Yuri has had his difficulties but you have never once let it change the love you feel towards him. As for his response? Of course I can’t guarantee that he will say yes. But you make him so happy, I can’t see why he wouldn’t,”

 

Otabek exhaled. “Thank you, Victor,”

 

A warm smile spread across Victor’s face. Otabek returned the smile sheepishly, and gestured for them to head back to the main markets.

 

They made their way back through the sea of people. The crowd had swelled further since they had left, but luckily Victor had abandoned his quest to find Yuuri a present in favour of being reunited with their omegas. They shuffled their way towards Olga’s pub – they had both texted the other skater to tell them to meet them there. It took them about 15 minutes to reach their destination, mostly due to the slow-moving crowds. Otabek suggested that they go in for a drink whilst they waited, to which Victor agreed.

 

There were no seats left in the pub, so the two alphas stood at the end of the bar, sipping their beers and scrolling on their phones.

 

“Has Yuuri replied to you yet?” Otabek asked. Despite having his phone with him every waking minute, Yuri was notorious for not answering his texts.

 

“No, he hasn’t,” said Victor, frowning slightly. “But it’s not been that long. They might be caught up with fans or something,”

 

Very true. Otabek nodded and returned to scrolling through Instagram. The minutes ticked by, and still neither of them received a reply. Otabek sent another text. Time passed. He had finished his beer. Another text. An anxious glance at Victor. He phoned Yuri. It went straight to voicemail.

 

“Any luck?” Asked Victor, clearly trying to mask his mounting anxiety.

 

“It looks like his phone is dead. Try ringing Yuuri?”

 

Victor held the phone to his ear for what felt like an eternity. Otabek chewed his bottom lip nervously, until Victor quietly place his phone on the bar. Otabek watched as the alpha downed the remaining half of his beer before standing up.

 

“We need to go and find them,” Victor said sternly.

 

Otabek gulped nervously. He followed Victor out of the pub, clutching his phone in case it rang.

 

They wandered the streets of the market, retracing the steps they took at the start of the night. They each were releasing their scents in the hope that the omegas would find them easier that way, but they barely cut through the aroma of the many market stalls.

 

Then, he saw Victor begin to run. He followed frantically. He must have spotted them! But when he caught up, he found Victor talking to a woman in a yellow reflective vest.

 

“Ok, first thing to do is ask around the stalls nearby where you last saw them, to check if they paid a visit and at what time,” She was explaining to Victor. “If you still haven’t found them within the next hour, find an official so we can make an announcement over the tannoy,”

 

Otabek could see that Victor was struggling not to panic. He put his hands on Victor’s shoulders and looked him in the eye.

 

“We will find them, Victor. It’s going to be alright. We’re going to try the food court first, ok?”

 

Victor nodded before wordlessly making his way in the direction of the food court. Otabek followed behind him silently.

 

They had to be somewhere around here.

 

*****

 

_They will be in the food court. They can’t have gone far. Nothing bad has happened to them._

 

Victor’s attempts at reassuring himself were failing miserably. Barging through the crowds, desperate to find Yuuri, he had almost forgotten that Otabek was on his tail, apologising left right and centre for Victor’s rudeness.

 

They reached the food court. It was huge. Where would they even start?! Heads turned as his scent poured from his body in a desperate call for his omega. He looked around frantically for his mate, not noticing the crowd part in fear at the sight of an alpha on the edge.

 

“VICTOR!” Otabek boomed from behind him. “Get a grip! Don’t you think I’m worried too?” He gripped the older man’s arms and stared him down. “You’re not going to get anywhere acting like this. Yuuri said something about a hog roast, so we are going to start there,”

 

Otabek was never more an alpha than in that moment. For a split second, Victor glared back at him, before shrugging him away and wordlessly turning to find the hog roast stall.

 

 _He just doesn’t understand. He hasn’t felt what it’s like to be bonded to someone. I can tell that Yuuri is nowhere near here. I’ll entertain the notion that they are safe for now, but I won’t believe it until I see him in front of_ me.

 

“Excuse me sir,” Victor asked a server at the hog roast stall. “Have you seen these men here recently?” He showed them a group photo from earlier that night, pointing out the omegas.

 

“Hmm, I cannot say for sure,” the man said, squinting at the photo. “We get a lot of customers through the night. I shall ask all of my staff if they have seen them,” he ushered his staff one by one to look at the photo. One girl was adamant that she had served them, but that it was almost an hour ago. Victor and Otabek thanked them for their help and moved on.

 

“Now what do we do?” Victor whispered, eyes fixated on the picture, as though that would somehow make it more likely that Yuuri would be there when he looked up.

 

“We keep pushing. Let’s go and ask at the stalls closest to the food court. I’ll take this side,” Otabek gestures to one row of stalls “and you take that side,”

 

Victor nodded, and began his trip down the busy market aisles.

 

He was at his fourth stall when a message popped up. His heart leapt, hoping it would be Yuuri, but it was only Otabek. Still, he would only message once he had found something important.

 

**Stall selling glass artwork, about 6 th down my row. You can’t miss it.**

 

Victor inhaled deeply. He weaved his way through the throngs of people to find Otabek. He was right, the stall really stood out. There, he saw Otabek chatting to a homely woman behind the counter, although she did have a face like thunder at that moment in time.

 

“And I suppose you are the Japanese one’s alpha? You ought to teach him some manners as well,” she huffed. Otabek grimaced, casting his eyes to the floor.

 

“As I said Ma’am, we are awfully worried about –“

 

“Excuse me?!” Growled Victor. “Don’t you dare talk about them like they are our pets,”

 

“Victor, don’t…”

 

“No! My husband has gone missing, along with a very close friend! We are desperate to find them. We haven’t heard from them in over an hour. So, can you help us? Or are you going to let your pre-conceived notions of omegas cloud your compassion?”

 

Victor glared at the woman, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Otabek was whispering to him, something about keeping his alpha instincts under control, but Victor didn’t care.

 

“I-I…” she stammered, threatened by Victor “I’m sorry… I didn’t… They came by and were interested in the products… They met my daughter and signed some autographs… then they didn’t come back. I was offended by this. I’m sorry for any misunderstanding,”

 

Victor’s clenched jaw relaxed slightly, but he kept his gaze firmly on her.

 

“What do you mean they didn’t come back?” asked Otabek.

 

“Well… they went round the back to my caravan with my daughter. If you don’t come back out via the stalls, it’s quite a hassle. I assumed that they were that desperate not to come back that they had taken the long route just to avoid me,” she explained quietly.

 

Victor and Otabek exchanged glances. She continued.

 

“I can take you round to the caravan to talk to my husband, if that might help?”

 

“It would, thank you,” said Victor, trying to regain his composure. She enlisted someone from a neighbouring stall to keep watch over hers whilst she took them through the back. Once she reached her caravan she climbed inside, returning with her husband.

 

“When did those figure skaters leave here, dear?” She asked him. He took one look at the stern faces of the two alphas in front of him and paled.

 

“Umm… the two of them signed Katya’s pictures, I thanked them and then shut the door. That was about an hour ago,”

 

Victor wanted to punch something. The two of them were last seen and heard from here, an hour ago. They appeared to have reached a dead end. He turned around in circles, rubbing his temples, willing for any sort of sign that could lead them to Yuuri’s whereabouts.

 

That’s when he saw a phone face-down on the ground, a few feet away from the door towards the back of the caravan. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears, drowning out the conversation behind them. He bent down to pick up the phone, turning it slowly in his hands. Even in the dim light, he saw the pale blue of the case, adorned with pictures of poodles. He fell to his knees, sobbing. 


	4. White Van

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where it starts getting pretty intense. I will include trigger warnings before each chapter.
> 
> (I am so sorry)
> 
> TW:  
> Physical abuse, sexual harassment, verbal abuse

“I’m telling you, this one doesn’t have a phone on him!”

 

“Urgh, let me take a look. He must have one somewhere,”

 

Yurri felt his whole body being searched, thrown around as rough hands grabbed and pushed and rummaged through his clothing. He could barely register what was happening. Was this a dream? He couldn’t see anything. His arms felt numb – he tried to move them but failed, feeling a sharp tug on the skin of his wrists. He was sure his eyes were open, but they felt very heavy, and he could still see nothing. Never in his life had he felt this groggy before, the closest thing he could think of was a bad hangover. He focussed on one part of his body at a time; he couldn’t move his arms or his legs, his mouth was taped shut, he felt like he was going to vomit, he couldn’t see and his head was pounding. Focussing in on his surroundings, he felt like he was moving, and he could hear an engine running. Perhaps he was in a car? Then, he heard voices again.

 

“Just throw it out of the window when we get on the Autobahn. It will never get found and it will probably get crushed,” a deep voice with a thick German accent said.

 

“Fine. I told you the other one didn’t have a phone,” replied a man with an equally thick accent, except Russian.

 

Yuuri tried to cast his thoughts back. What on earth was happening? Last thing he remembered was wandering the markets in Berlin with...

 

Yurio.

 

Oh God, what has happened? Is Yurio safe? Is he with me? He must be, if they are calling me ‘the other one’

 

He tried to focus on finding Yuri’s scent, but the air smelt too badly of wet dog and cigarette smoke, and Yuri was on suppressants and scent blockers.

 

Then, Yuuri felt a large hand grope at his ass.

 

_I am going to get raped_. He thought. _I’ve been kidnapped, and I’m going to get raped and murdered._

 

Tears were streaming down his face as the hands continued to squeeze his buttocks and stroke down his thighs.

 

“Boss has good taste,” said German “shame we can’t do anything to them,” he punctuated with a final squeeze of Yuuri’s cheeks, before retracting his hand.

 

“Not yet anyway,” replied Russian “and if he gets that one to himself then I’m definitely having my way with blondie here sooner or later,”

 

“NO!!! Don’t touch him!” Yuuri tried to scream, but it was muffled by the gag. He struggled against is bonds “Get away from him!”

 

The two men laughed loudly, and Yuuri was pulled upwards into a sitting position. His hands were still taped behind his back and his legs were curled into a fetal position, but he was propped up against a hard surface. He felt something be pulled up off his head, sending his glasses flying. There was more laughter, and his glasses were rammed back onto his face, and the gag on his mouth was ripped away. Yuuri sobbed loudly, gasping for breath. He felt dizzy, but he forced himself to focus on the looming figures in front of him. They were crouching, and there was a small window to his right. It looked as though they were in the back of a van.

 

“Got something to say, omega slut?” said German, gripping Yuuri’s jaw tightly. Yuuri studied the face in front of him as much as he could – it was too dark to discern an eye colour, and the remainder of the man’s face was covered in a black balaclava.

 

Yuuri could feel the tears running down his face and neck, he was almost blinded by the pain at the back of his head, but he locked eyes with the man.

 

“I said don’t touch him,” Yuuri said. He could hear his voice shaking.

 

The man looked at him for a split second before bursting into raucous laughter.

 

“You hearing this?” He scoffed to Russian, who was also laughing.

 

“Don’t touch him!” Russian replied in a high-pitched whiny voice, clearly mocking Yuuri.

 

German threw Yuuri back down onto the floor, spitting on him as he landed.

 

“There’s a reason we took two of you, dumb bitch,” he growled at Yuuri, grabbing a fist full of Yuuri’s hair and shoving his face forwards. “Double the fun,”

 

Russian chuckled darkly, reaching over to the other side of the van, and rolling over an unconscious Yuri. His blond hair was sprawled about his head, his mouth was also taped shut and there was a black cloth tied around his eyes. German banged the omega’s heads together, intensifying the pain Yuuri was already feeling. He cried out, overwhelmed by the pounding headache and the sharp pain of the other man’s grip on his hair.

 

“Please,” Yuuri sobbed “Please don’t hurt him,”

 

“You’re not a quick learner are you?” German growled in his ear, pressing his hand hard onto Yuuri’s head.

 

Yuuri cried out in pain, and then German relented his grip. He heard the ripping of duct tape and his mouth was clamped shut once more.

 

“Don’t want to listen to your whining anymore,”

 

Yuuri wanted nothing more than to sleep, or to black out. The pain was mounting and he wanted to escape from it. But he forced himself to stay awake to watch the every move of these men. He would cause trouble for them, and take their beatings for it, if it meant that they wouldn’t touch his friend.

 

The two men were mumbling at one another from the back of the van. Yuuri tried to make out what they were saying but it was next to impossible over the sound of the engine. God, he was tired. He could feel his eyelids growing heavier, but still he kept himself awake. He lost track of time – via the small window into the front of the van it appeared to still be night time, the orange glow of the streetlights rhythmically waving in and out. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious for, and Yuri was showing no signs of movement. That was when he started to panic – how did he even know that Yuri was still alive?! Judging by the pain from the back of his head, they had knocked him unconscious – if they had done the same to Yuri, he might not ever wake up.

 

Yuuri begin to shuffle slowly and awkwardly towards his friend, desperate to feel his breath on his face. But Russian noticed him moving, and shoved him harshly onto his back.

 

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?” he breathed down Yuuri’s ear, making him shiver. He couldn’t reply so merely glanced over at his friend. Russian looked at him too, drinking in the sight for far too long. Then his brows furrowed.

 

“Oi, you reckon blondie is dead?” he asked German.

 

“He better fucking not be,” growled German in response. He put his large hands on Yuri’s throat, feeling for his pulse. “Nah he’s still there. Lucky for us. Still got to get rid of the phone though,”

 

German’s face lit up when he turned the phone on. He began to scroll, laughing darkly as he did so.

 

“Aww, they’re worried about you!” he sneered at Yuuri, shoving the screen into his face “I could just call your alphas, let them know you’re ours now!”

 

The two men cackled as more tears slid silently down Yuuri’s cheeks.

 

_They are so cruel_

 

German then crawled over to the small window and gave it a tap. It slid open and he handed Yuri’s phone to the driver, instructing him to throw it onto the road below them.

 

“Oh!” He exclaimed, covering his mouth dramatically. “Did you want to speak to your alpha? Do you think he’s gonna come and save you?” He leant down and pinched Yuuri’s cheek in mock affection. “Don’t worry your pretty ass about it. We’ll take care of you,”

 

He grinned manically down at Yuuri, eyeing him up hungrily. He stroked Yuuri’s cheek, laughing when the omega flinched away. Luckily for Yuuri, the alpha soon resumed his seat near the back of the van.

 

Yuuri weighed up the scenario. He was trapped, in the back of a moving vehicle with no idea where he was going. His and his friend’s lives were in danger. All he could do was wait. He could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness once more. Maybe that would be nice. He could dream and he’d be away from the pain… he let his heavy eyes close, praying that this nightmare would soon be over.

 

*****

 

 The ice slid away below him. Yuri glided across the white surface, losing his breath as he twirled around, faster and faster. He jumped and span and danced, never making a mark on the surface below. It was endless, stretching as far as the eye could see. He skated in circles, landing his jumps perfectly every time – until he didn’t. His legs crumpled beneath him, and he fell backwards. Before his eyes reached the sky, his skull cracked against a wall that was not there previously. He moved to get up, but continued to stumble into more and more walls. He was boxed in now, the walls stretching so high that he could only see a small square of light directly above him. He scrambled to get to his feet, to find a way out. That was when something clamped onto both of his ankles, and he felt himself dragged across the ice. The walls melted away and the vice-like grip on his ankles spread across his whole body, binding his hands behind his torso, gluing his mouth shut. He tried to struggle but it was useless. He gasped for breath, snapping open his eyes to find pitch black.

 

He was dragged by the ankles until he felt arms envelop him. They felt unfamiliar, and the smell around him was enough to make him gag. There was pressure on his stomach and a grip on his legs. Someone was carrying him, but where to? He tried to struggle but it was no use – his body was weak and his head was splitting. The grip on his legs intensified and he stilled, his heart in his mouth. What was going on?

 

Yuri listened to the footsteps of the person carrying him, who reeked of cigarette smoke. This person was an alpha for sure, and an unsavoury one at that. The alpha’s footsteps echoed as he carried Yuri, but there were too many steps. He realised that someone else was walking with them. Wherever they were, it was freezing cold, and the temperature was continuing to drop.

 

After a couple of minutes of walking, Yuri heard a door creak open and then slam shut. Then, the wind was knocked out of him as he was dropped to the floor. The tape on his mouth was torn off, and he was blinded by light. He heard laughter and felt someone grip his face. He slowly opened his eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness.

 

“You were not nearly as much trouble as your friend,” the alpha growled at him with a thick German accent “doesn’t mean we’re gonna go any easier on you though,”

 

Yuri’s eyes were watering but he looked at the face of his kidnapper. His eyes were dark, almost black, and the rest of his face was obscured by a black balaclava. The alpha chuckled and held up a huge knife to Yuri’s face. The omegas eyes widened in fear, causing the alpha to laugh once again. Yuri squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the pain of being stabbed, but it never came. Instead, the knife ripped through the tape binding his legs together. Yuri cried out in pain as his legs were overcome with cramp – he had no idea for how long they had been taped in that position, but he could feel the blood rushing back to his muscles. He yelped again as the alpha flipped him onto his stomach, cutting through the bonds around Yuri’s wrists.

 

Yuri’s whole body was in excruciating pain. He sobbed on the ground, unable to even move himself from a lying position. The alpha swung his leg round and kicked Yuri’s thighs, causing him to scream.

 

“Shut the fuck up,” German said, turning on his heel and striding out of the door. It closed with a loud bang, and there were several squeaks as locks were turned on the other side.

 

It took several minutes for normal sensation to return to Yuri’s limbs. Slowly, he pushed himself up onto all fours, before collapsing back down. He took a deep breath, and rolled himself over onto his back. He shuffled up against the wall until he was in a sitting position and he could see his surroundings properly for the first time.

 

It was a small, square room, with off-white walls and a concrete floor. A single lightbulb dangled from the ceiling, illuminating the small space with a harsh white light. The door looked heavy and metal, covered in peeling red paint but otherwise featureless. In one corner of the room was a bucket and a threadbare blanket, and in the other corner was a plastic bottle of water and two heels of bread.

 

_Is this a prison?_

 

He slowly rose to his feet and went over to the door, pressing his ear against it in the hope he could hear something. But there was only silence.

 

Yuri took the blanket and wrapped himself in it. He examined the bucket, but it was empty.

 

_Gross, this must be the toilet_ He thought, placing the bucket back down. _But I do really need to pee…_

 

Once he had relieved himself, he noticed that he was ravenous. He wolfed down the bread and finished off the water. Then, he sat back against the wall.

 

_What the fuck is going on? Where is Yuuri? Who are these people?_

 

He cast his mind back to the markets, when they were outside the caravan. Someone had grabbed him from behind, Yuuri had tried to help him before he was cracked round the back of the head with something. As his friend had fallen to the floor, he struggled against the person holding him back. And the next thing he remembered was being carried to this room.

 

Yuri got up, and headed towards the door. He still could hear nothing. He raised his fist and banged once on the door. The sound reverberated through the room but there was still no sound from outside. He banged again, and again, until he was hammering at the door with both fists, screaming.

 

“WHERE THE FUCK AM I?” he screamed “WHERE IS MY FRIEND? ANSWER ME, ASSHOLES!”

 

He screamed until his throat was raw and hammered on the door until his fists were numb. He slid down to the ground, cupping his face in his hands and sobbing. Suddenly, he was knocked backwards onto the ground. He lay sprawled on the floor, staring up at a man who stank like wet dogs. He shot up, aiming a punch at the man’s stomach, but he was pushed to the floor once again.

 

“Got something to say omega?” the man said in a heavy Russian accent, glaring down at Yuri, who was dazed from another fall. “Yeah, didn’t think so. Ungrateful bitch, eating our food and then acting like this,”

 

Yuri grimaced as Russian spat down on him. These alphas were disgusting.

 

Russian clicked his tongue as he turned towards the bucket in the corner. Yuri saw his chance, and took it. He leapt to his feet and sprinted out of the door. He turned left down a narrow corridor, screaming for Yuuri. Then, he tripped and went flying towards the ground, winding himself as he hit the concrete floor. Laughter filled the corridor, and he was dragged up by the arms and led back to his room by a man with no discernible scent other than sweat. The large beta kicked him into his cell, locking the door behind him.

 

Yuri crawled over to the blanket and wrapped himself up in it. He prayed to anything that would listen to keep him and Yuuri safe. He prayed that he would soon be back in Otabek’s arms. He sobbed into his jumper, the faint smell of the Kazakh alpha soothing him slightly. He let himself be carried away by the scent to a better place, until he fell asleep in the corner of the cold room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Autobahn = German motorway / freeway


	5. Missing Persons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot of crying in this chapter. Both from the characters and from me because I found this one really hard to write :L

It had taken hours for Victor to calm down.

 

Otabek heard him before he saw him. Victor was wailing, knelt on the ground, clutching his hands to his chest. Otabek struggled to talk him down from his impending panic attack, whilst the kind betas who last saw Yuri and Yuuri alerted officials.

 

A search went on in the area for over 2 hours, by which time most of the market stalls had closed for the night. Victor and Otabek were taken back to their hotel by some officials working at the market. Soon after, they were joined by three police officers.

 

Victor sat shivering on the edge of the bed despite being wrapped in the duvet, still clutching Yuuri’s phone to his chest; Otabek perched next to him, his knuckles white from gripping his knees as they were told that the omegas had not been found. A lump had formed in Otabek’s throat as they continued on about alerting families, trying to keep the press at bay, and taking the phone into the station to examine for clues.

 

The police officers stayed with the alphas that night, still waiting on news from any security cameras around the market. Unfortunately, as the stalls were not a permanent feature, CCTV was very limited and brought up nothing.

 

“…I understand, Sir, but if we can find any clues relating to your husband’s disappearance on this phone…”

 

A low growl from beside him brought Otabek back to his senses. He had zoned out since they had gotten back to Victor’s room.

 

“Victor,” he said quietly “please,”

 

The older alpha looked at him, still growling slightly. His narrowed blue eyes shone with tears.

 

“I can’t,” Victor finally choked. “He’s gone, they’re both gone,”

 

Otabek bit back tears. He was still numb from the events of the evening, still processing what had happened. He knew that handing over Yuuri’s phone would give them no clues as to the omega’s whereabouts, but the police were being very insistent.

 

“We will get them back,” Otabek whispered. Tears were streaming down Victor’s face now. “Give them the phone, Victor. And we will get them back,”

 

Victor squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling sharply, before slowly holding out the phone to a short female officer next to him.

 

“Thank you, Sir,” She smiled pityingly. “We will do everything we can to get Yuuri and Yuri back home,”

 

Victor’s whole body wracked with sobs, Otabek sitting opposite him with a thousand-yard stare and a face streaked with tears. The police officers busied themselves with contacting the missing person’s department and making cups of tea. It was clear that Victor couldn’t be alone, so Otabek stayed, wrapping his arms awkwardly around the older alpha’s upper body in an attempt to comfort him.

 

After a while, Victor had quietened. Otabek gently manoeuvred himself out of the embrace, under the impression that his friend had drifted off to sleep from exhaustion.

 

“We need to tell people,” came a thick voice from below him “We need to tell them before they see it on the news,”

 

Word of the skater’s disappearances had somehow already gotten out to the press, and a handful of reporters were gathered around the hotel entrance. An underlying anxiety filled the room, the police officers clearly keen to get the ball rolling with letting the families know.

 

Otabek excused himself to the bathroom, splashing his face with cold water when he got there. He wanted to wash, to scrub off any evidence of this day and wake up the next morning with life back to normal. He watched as the water spiralled down the drain, hypnotised by the thought. He rinsed his face once again to pull himself back to reality.

 

The phone rang 4 times, before being answered by a very disgruntled voice on the other end.

 

“What time is this?” came the voice, gruff with tiredness.

 

“Mr Plisetsky,” Otabek replied in Russian “I am so sorry to wake you,”

 

“Otabek!” Yuri’s grandfather exclaimed. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you this soon. Do I hear wedding bells on the horizon?”

 

It took all of Otabek’s strength not to cry. He stammered around the lump in his throat.

 

“I’m afraid it’s not about that Mr Plisetsky,” He whispered. Silence proceeded on the other end of the line. “We were at the markets tonight, Mr Plisetsky. Yura and I went separate ways at one point in the evening. I’m afraid I’ve not seen or heard from him since,”

 

The silence continued. Otabek had covered his mouth with his hand, trying to muffle the sound of his impending sobs.

 

“What are you telling me, Otabek?” Yuri’s Grandfather finally replied.

 

“Yura. Yura has gone missing,” Otabek choked, the tears finally wrenching themselves free. “I am so sorry, Mr Plisetsky,”

 

“Where are you right now, Otabek?” came the gentle reply “who is with you?”

 

“I am back at the hotel with Victor. Yuuri Katsuki has also gone missing,” Otabek whispered “some police officers are here also,”

 

“I see,” the old man said quietly. “May I speak to a police officer?”

 

Otabek entered the bedroom, wordlessly handing out his phone to the taller female police officer. She nodded sympathetically, taking the phone and exiting into the hallway. Victor was still hunched over on the bed, but this time it was his own phone he was staring at.

 

“I’m going to phone Hiroko,” Victor exclaimed. “I’m going to do that right now,”

 

However, he just remained staring at the screen. Otabek approached the bed, sitting down next to the other alpha.

 

“Victor,” he whispered, squeezing his friend’s arm slightly. “I’m right here,”

 

And with that, Victor dialled for his mother-in-law. He activated speakerphone and Otabek could sense that his breath was held whilst the phone rang.

 

“Hello?” came the soft voice of Yuuri’s mother

 

“Mama,” replied Victor quietly “It’s Victor,”

 

“Vicchan! What a lovely surprise! I hope you are well and enjoying Berlin,”

 

“Thank you,” he replied, his voice trembling. “Is everyone there? Mari and Toshiya? I need to speak with all of you,”

 

“Y-yes,” she stuttered, clearly confused “I shall go and get them,”

 

“Hello, Vicchan!” came two more voices down the phone.

 

“Hello everyone,” he whispered “I’m so sorry for the unexpected call. I wish I wasn’t having to make it,”

 

“Is everything alright, Vicchan?” Mari asked “Is Yuuri with you?”

 

Victor sniffed the tears back. Otabek gave his arm another squeeze.

 

“N-no… no he isn’t… I don’t know where he is,”

 

A confused pause followed. Victor took a deep breath, clearly on the verge of tears again.

 

“I-I’m so sorry… w-we were at the markets… Otabek and I… we separated from Yuuri and Yurio… We haven’t heard from them o-or seen them for hours… the police are searching for them still… I found Yuuri’s phone…” he trailed off, overcome with another bout of tears.

 

“The police?” whispered Yuuri’s mother

 

“Y-yes,” Victor sniffled. “I’m so sorry Mama, I’ve failed him. I made vows to protect him, but now he is missing,”

 

Otabek heard a cry erupt from the end of the phone, which sent Victor over the edge. He curled in on himself, sobbing into his knees. The shorter policewoman took the phone to speak to Yuuri’s family whilst Otabek tried once again to calm Victor, who was clutching at Otabek’s jumper and crying into his chest.

 

“Yakov,” exclaimed Victor in a muffled cry “I need to speak to Yakov,”

 

The two police officers who had taken over the phonecalls were no longer in the room, so Otabek turned to the male officer who was sat on a chair a few feet away from the bed.

 

“Officer, we need to contact someone urgently,” Otabek pleaded with him “But both of our phones are being used. May we use yours?”

 

The police officer frowned slightly, rubbing his stubbly chin. “I’m afraid we don’t carry our telephones with us when we are on duty,” he was staring intently at the alphas “I’ll see if I can radio for someone to bring a telephone,”

 

Several minutes followed of the officer exchanging words with people on his walkie-talkie, apparently getting increasingly stressed with every passing second. He sighed and carded his hands through his short hair.

 

“I will go and check on my collegues, I will only be a moment,” he glanced at Victor, still shaking in Otabek’s arms “I shouldn’t really leave… but I want to do whatever I can to help,”

 

Otabek nodded at him. The officer gave a sympathetic smile and a nod back, before turning to dash out of the room.

 

“What do we do, Beka?” Victor sniffled, looking up to the younger alpha, his eyes swimming with tears.

 

“We do whatever it takes to find them,” Otabek replied with a firm squeeze on Victor’s shoulders. “And we will find them,”

 

Victor nodded solemnly, releasing his grasp on Otabek.

 

“If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” mumbled Victor. He slowly got off the bed, the thick duvet sliding from his shoulders into a slump behind him. He made his way to the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

 

When Victor re-emerged from the bathroom, wet silver hair dripping slightly on his pale shoulders, Otabek had straightened the room up, and the male police officer had returned with the taller female officer.

 

“Pardon me for my earlier behaviour,” Victor began, his usual composure having returned

 

“No need to apologise, Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov, this is a stressful time for you,” the female officer replied softly “I have just returned from a phone call with Mr Plisetsky’s grandfather, and once my other colleague returns from speaking to your family, we have much to discuss with yourself and Mr Altin, if you are ready,”

 

Victor had changed into some sweatpants and a t-shirt of Yuuri’s, in the hope that being surrounded by his omega’s scent would comfort him. Unfortunately, Yuuri was on scent blockers and the shirt was freshly washed, offering only the smell of detergent. He resumed his seat on the bed next to Otabek, who reeked with worry – something Victor only just noticed on re-entry to the room. He placed a hand on Otabek’s knee.

 

“Thank you, Beka,” he whispered “We will find them,”

 

Otabek nodded in reply, just as the shorter officer came back into the room. She and her colleagues sat on some chairs from various corners of the room, which had been pulled to face the side of the bed on which the alphas were sitting.

“Apologies for the wait Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov, Mr Altin,” she said, handing Victor’s phone back to him. “After I had spoken to Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov’s family, I went to speak with the hotel manager. They are quite happy to extend your stay at the hotel until further notice and without charge,”

 

Otabek saw Victor smile graciously in response, but he couldn’t bring himself to do the same. Although he was sure the hotel manager meant well, but he couldn’t help but feel pitied and almost victimised. He hated himself for thinking it.

 

“In the meantime, he has contacted neighbouring hotels to see if they have any rooms to spare for the families of Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov and Mr Plisetsky,” she continued “Both are eager to come to Berlin to stay with the two of you,”

 

“How long before the press gets wind of the situation?” Otabek asked through gritted teeth “Too many people already know, we haven’t even told our close friends,”

 

“I understand your concern, Mr Altin,” the male officer began “as far as we know, some folk at the markets overheard the tannoy call for Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov and Mr Plisetsky, and recognised their names. We believe they then alerted the press, as there were several reporters asking officers on the search team about the situation. Of course, they refused to comment,”

 

“There appears to be no online speculation at this moment in time,” the other female officer continued. “But that could all change in the next few hours, when morning rolls around. Representatives of the missing persons division are on their way right now to advise you on how best to move forward. In the meantime, please to alert anyone else that you feel needs to know.”

 

Otabek nodded slowly, digesting the information. A glance at the clock showed him that it was 3am.

 

_Morning may arrive soon, but we still have plenty of time to organise ourselves_

“Thank you for all of your help this evening, officers,” Victor stated “and be sure to pass our best onto everyone else involved with bringing Yuuri and Yurio back to us. I have a few phone calls to make, if you don’t mind,”

 

“We can stay in the room with you or move out to the corridor,” the male officer said.

 

“I would like some privacy, please,” replied Victor “Otabek?”

 

Otabek stared at the ground. His mind was whirring, he couldn’t think straight. He pulled out his phone to look at his frequent contacts.

 

**Yura <3 **

Otabek gulped. All he wanted to do was speak to Yuri. His finger hovered over the contact, forgetting that Yuri’s phone was dead and he had no chance of hearing his voice on the other end of the line. He blinked back tears, scrolling down so that Yuri’s contact information was moved out of sight.

 

**Home**

He would need to phone his mother.

 

“Yes… privacy…” he muttered. The police officers left the two alphas in the room. Victor was already speaking down the phone in rapid-fire Russian, but Otabek was not registering a single word that came from the other man’s mouth.

 

_“Figure skating?!” His father spluttered. “Out of the question! It’s high time you got a real job. You have everything in the family business lined up for you. I’ve had enough of your ridiculous pipe dreams,”_

_“Darling, please,” his mother replied. “Let him live a little, he is still only a teenager! His athletic career won’t carry him past his twenties anyway,”_

_Otabek stood with his fists clenched and jaw set, staring up at his tall alpha father. The tension between them was electric. His father often scoffed at Otabek’s hobbies, seeing them as trivial and too feminine for a budding alpha like his son._

_“I’m doing this, Father, with or without your support,” he growled “I want more in my life than just bonding some omega and settling down to a boring career,”_

_“Fine. But don’t come to me expecting sympathy when this stupid dream of yours never makes it off the ground,” his father spat, spinning on his heel and marching out of the room._

_“He will come round, Beka,” his mother said soothingly._

_But, two years later, his father still barely spoke to him. His skating career was going very well, even earning him the title of Hero of Kazakhstan, but still all his father wanted was for his son to settle down with an omega, give him grandchildren and take over the family business so he could finally retire. He had offered no support when Otabek moved to Canada to train, eventually leading him back to training in Almaty to save money._

_When he told his parents about his relationship with Yuri, it was the most that his father had spoken to him in years. But, that changed once again when Otabek stated that he intended to remain on the ice._

_He still hadn’t told his father that he was planning to propose._

He dialled the number.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Mother, it’s me,” Otabek said

 

“Beka?” She replied “Has it happened? What do I tell your father? Would you like to speak to him?”

 

“No thank you,” Otabek replied “Yuri has gone missing. I’ll be staying in Germany until further notice,”

 

“Oh, I see,” she replied, her voice laced with confusion at her son’s bluntness “I’m very sorry Beka. I hope that he is alright and you are reunited soon,”

 

“Me too,” he whispered. “I don’t expect father to ask, but if he does, let him know,”

 

Their conversation carried on, still slightly tense what with Otabek’s matter-of-fact manner. Once his mother had hung up after more condolences, he dropped his phone in his lap and buried his face in his hands.

 

It took a few minutes for him to register the eerie silence surrounding him. He turned to face Victor, who was sat back against the headboard, absentmindedly fidgeting with the strings of his sweatpants.

 

“Yakov is getting the next plane here,” came Victor’s hollow voice “What do you want to tell our friends?”

 

Otabek didn’t move his head from his hands. He couldn’t go through this explanation many more times, he was exhausted. Neither he nor Victor had slept – he doubted that he could even if he wanted to.

 

“Would it be terrible to just message them?” Victor continued “I don’t think I can face explaining it to them all individually,”

 

Otabek stirred, looking up at the older alpha. Thank god he was thinking the same thing.

 

“I think they will understand,” Victor said, almost to himself “I’ll include you in the message,”

 

It took Victor a while to compose the message to their friends, occasionally running his wording through with Otabek, who would simply reply with a nod or a shake of his head. Once Victor was happy with the message, it popped up on Otabek’s phone.

 

**To: Phichit, Christophe, Mila, JJ, Minami, Yuko, Takeshi, Seung-Gil, Guang-Hong**

**Hello all.**

**Firstly, Otabek and I would like to apologise for doing this over a message. We hope you understand our reasoning.**

**Secondly, please do not panic. The situation is being dealt with appropriately and we have plenty of support around us right now.**

**As you all know, Otabek and I are in Germany on a short holiday with Yuuri and Yurio. We went to the markets in Berlin earlier this evening and got separated. We have not seen or heard from them in hours, they were last seen talking to a young fan in a more secluded area of the markets.**

**Missing persons are on their way to meet with us, following a long search of the markets.**

**Once again, I am so sorry to be telling you this in such an impersonal way. We have made several statements to the police, and informed Yuuri and Yurio’s family, who are on their way to Berlin. We expect that it will soon be on the news and we wanted to let you all know first.**

**We will of course keep you updated as things go on**

**Victor and Otabek**

Victor placed his phone face-down on the nightstand. Otabek re-read the message, neurotically refreshing the page to see if anyone had seen it or replied.

 

“Drink,” came a gentle voice. Otabek looked up to see Victor holding 2 glasses of water, one arm outstretched in an offer to his friend.

 

“Thank you,” Otabek replied thickly, taking the glass and knocking back the water in one go. He wiped his mouth and placed the glass on the nightstand.

 

The two alphas sat in silence for the next 20 minutes – Otabek still constantly checking for replies; Victor deliberately ignoring his phone. A sharp knock on the door made them jump simultaneously. Victor leapt off of the bed, strode towards the door and welcomed a man and a woman inside.

 

“Good morning,” one of them said, offering out a hand to Victor “My name is Otto, and this is my colleague Helena,”

 

Victor shook Otto’s and Helena’s hands respectively. The two betas made their way into the room to introduce themselves to Otabek, who shook their hands curtly.

 

Victor resumed his spot on the side of the bed, and the betas sat on the chairs previously occupied by the police officers.

 

“We apologise for the wait,” said Helena, with an accent that hinted at both American and German “Otto and I are from the Missing Persons department of Berlin’s police force. We have been called here regarding the disappearance of one Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov and one Yuri Plisetsky. I’m sure that this is a difficult time for the two of you, but we are here to guide and advise you during this time,”

 

“We have read through your full statements with the police, so there is no need to recount the story to us, unless you feel that you have additional information that may have been missed in your initial statements,” Otto continued, in perfect but heavily accented English.

 

Victor nodded slightly in response, but Otabek hardly moved his gaze from the neutral spot between the two chairs in front of him.

 

“In order to find Yuuri and Yuri, we will need to make a statement to local news stations, encouraging anyone with information to come forward. We have been informed that the four of you are international athletes, so we may also be required to make statements to the general media. You can address the media yourself, or we can do it on your behalf, whatever you are most comfortable with,”

 

Otabek remained motionless. He appreciated the genuine concern in the voice of these betas.

 

“What about efforts to find them?” Victor inquired “Will there still be a search party? Will it just be their pictures on the news? How will this work?”

 

Otto and Helena very patiently answered all of Victor’s questions and addressed his concerns. It became clear to Otabek that the two betas were very competent and caring, and they had not once brought up the fact that Yuuri and Yuri were omegas – a fact that most people would want to hone in on.

 

“Mr Altin?” Helena asked gently. Otabek slowly brought himself to meet her gaze, stirred from his thoughts “Do you have any questions?”

 

Otabek paused for a moment. His elbows rested on his knees, his hands in front of his face in a prayer-like position, fingers stroking gently on his lips as he was deep in thought. He sighed, let his hands drop onto his legs. He stood up, looking down at the two betas who remained seated.

 

“When can we put out a statement to the press?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops Otabek backstory that no-one wanted and that I never initially planned


	6. The Boss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, back to the Yuris!
> 
> Your comments warm my little heart <3
> 
> Trigger Warnings:  
> Violence, sexual harassment

Yuuri stirred from his sleep. He thought he could faintly hear Yurio’s voice calling for him, but it must have been part of the dream.

 

And what a horrible dream it was – he stretched his arms and legs, which were of course not bound together by tape. He yawned deeply, snuggling into the warmth beside him. Of course Victor would be next to him, his slender arms wrapped around Yuuri’s body, softly caressing his hair; Victor could often tell when Yuuri was having a bad dream and would move to comfort his husband.

 

Yurri sighed contentedly as Victor’s fingers kept stroking his hair. He tilted his head up and Victor planted a burning kiss on his forehead, causing Yuuri to frown at the discomfort.

 

“Victor…?” he mumbled.

 

The left side of his face suddenly throbbed and stung. His eyes flew open to meet those of someone he did not know.

 

“Don’t say that bastard’s name near me!” the man growled.

 

Yuuri launched himself off the bed, eyes never leaving the stranger. He anticipated a bigger gap between the bed and the ground, but it was merely a mattress on the floor, so Yuuri stumbled over his own feet and fell on his backside. He scrambled to get up, wrenching his eyes away from the stranger to find a way out.

 

When he saw the door, he practically threw himself against it, desperately clawing at it to pull it open. It was useless. He was panting heavily, and from behind him he heard a soft laugh. He whipped himself around to face the bed again, planting his back firmly against the door.

 

The stranger was still laying on the bed, looking quite relaxed, with an amused grin on his face. He wore nothing to cover his face, which would have been handsome were it not for the context Yuuri was seeing it in. A mop of brown hair styled in an undercut softened his chiselled features. He wore a black t-shirt which was straining slightly against his muscles. Yuuri stared at him, his heart in his mouth, filling his ears with the sound of rapidly pounding blood.

 

“Yuuri,” the man said, extending out a hand towards him “come back to bed,”

 

_What the hell, what the hell_

Yuuri started to panic. He didn’t move a muscle from his position at the door, like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

 

The man tilted his head. “Don’t make me come and get you,”

 

_Or what?_

 

The man sighed and slowly made his way off the bed. Even from a few feet away, Yuuri could see that this man would tower over him; and Yuuri himself wasn’t exactly short. As the man approached him, he forced himself to think about his self-defence, how he would protect himself from whatever this man was going to do to him. He took a deep breath in, and that’s when he noticed the smell.

 

It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strong. How had he not noticed it earlier? Peppermint, and the smell of rain on a hot summers day – but it was overpowering, and its undertones were laced with a command to submit. Yuuri gritted his teeth, pushing the alpha’s scent to a corner of his mind.

 

The alpha stood over him now, looking down at Yuuri’s face, whose constricted pupils gave away his fear. He rose his hand, and Yuuri started planning how he was going to counter the alpha’s attack.

 

But, the alpha’s hand slowly came to rest on Yuuri’s cheek, caressing the smooth skin gently.

 

“Come back to bed,” the alpha whispered, tilting Yuuri’s chin up so that their lips were nearly touching.

 

Yuuri slapped the hand away.

 

“Where am I? Where’s Yurio?” he demanded as best he could. The alpha leant his hand on the wall behind Yuuri, further trapping him against the wall.

 

“Nothing’s happened to your little friend,” the alpha murmured “and nothing will, if you’re a good boy,”

 

Suddenly, Yuuri felt the alpha’s arm clamp around his waist, his other hand pushing into the back of Yuuri’s head as he was forced into a kiss. It burned his mouth, and his sore head protested at the pressure. Tears sprang to Yuuri’s eyes, and he blinked them back so he could glance down at the alpha’s legs, which were spread a little, feet planted firmly on the ground to best intimidate the omega. Perfect position.

 

Yuuri leant back slightly against the wall, which the alpha hardly noticed as he forced his tongue inside Yuuri’s mouth. The omega shifted his weight to one leg and kicked as high and as hard as he could, his shin meeting with the alpha’s groin. The alpha grunted in pain, his hands flying away from Yuuri and towards the pain between his legs. Yuuri grabbed the top of the man’s head and brought it down hard to meet with his knee, blood spurting from the alpha’s nose and over Yuuri’s jeans.

 

Yuuri kicked the alpha in the chest so that he fell on his back onto the concrete floor, one hand clutching at his nose. Yuuri whirled around, prying at the door with his fingers, his nails splintering as he tried to force the heavy metal away from the wall. There was no handle on his side of the door, so he quickly realised that his efforts were in vain. He frantically eyeballed the rest of the room, but the only break in the white walls was the red door that would not open.

 

The alpha was laughing again, more manically this time. He wiped his arm across his face, streaking the blood over his flesh. Yuuri pounced on him, pinning the alpha’s arms beside his head with his knees; pressing his thumbs down onto the man’s eyeballs.

 

“Let me out of here! Where is Yurio?” Yuuri screamed, his grip deforming the man’s face.

 

The alpha just continued to laugh, and Yuuri had begun to cry again. Tears streamed down his face as he continued to scream at the alpha, drowning out the sound of the door creaking open.

 

Yuuri was wrenched upwards by the armpits. He gasped at the sudden movement, and began flailing his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to free himself from the grip. His eyes darted around the room, and he saw that the door was now open. He stilled, and let his body flop. As the assailant was busy altering his grip on the omega, Yuuri ripped himself free and leapt towards the door.

 

He was just about to cross the threshold when he was seized by the ankle, and fell onto his stomach and chest, knocking the wind right out of him. He gasped for breath, legs still flailing in an attempt to free himself from the grip, arms trying to claw his way to the door. A large arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him once again into a standing position. Yuuri’s nails gouged into the skin, but that made no difference to the pressure on his windpipe. He was lifted from the ground, and he was thrown back onto the mattress.

 

“Told you he was trouble, Boss,” came the grunt from Russian. The two alphas stood with their arms folded, watching as Yuuri gasped and wheezed on the bed. Boss smiled slightly, and then began approaching the bed.

 

“Get away from me!” Yuuri spluttered, earning a dark laugh from Boss. “Where is Yurio?”

 

Boss tutted, looking down at Yuuri with his head tilted, as though fascinated by the omega. “I told you not to worry about him,” the alpha said sweetly, before his smile disappeared. He unfolded his arms and crouched down to look Yuuri in the eye. “Although… that was if you’d be good for me… but that wasn’t very good behaviour just then, was it?”

 

Yuuri glared daggers at the alpha. He had no idea if these were empty threats. Russian left the room momentarily, coming back with a plate full of food and a bottle of water. Yuuri’s eyes never left those of Boss as the food and water was set beside the mattress, and Russian left the room once more, this time closing the door behind him.

 

_Great, all that and I’m back where I started._

“Why don’t you eat, Yuuri? You must be famished,” Boss said gently, seating himself on the floor with his legs crossed. Yuuri remained staring at him.

 

 _I could easily attack him like that._ Yuuri thought. _He’s in way too vulnerable a position to defend himself effectively._

“If you’re thinking about attacking me again, don’t bother,” Boss said nonchalantly, picking up a small bunch of grapes from the plate of food. “I’ll let you off for that just then, but if you keep acting up, it will only get worse for your blonde friend,”

 

Yuuri stiffly brought himself into a sitting position, still eyeing the large alpha with caution.

 

“Take something,” said the alpha, gesturing towards the plate. Yuuri maintained his eye contact. “At least have some water,” he handed Yuuri the bottle and he gingerly took it.

 

“God, you’re cautious,” the alpha scoffed, chewing on a grape “The other one didn’t even think before eating,”

 

“Yurio?” blurted Yuuri. He cursed himself for breaking his silence.

 

“Mmm, the blonde,” the alpha mumbled in reply, picking up a small sandwich from the plate. “Eat it,” His voice was more commanding now.

 

Yuuri picked up the sandwich and brought it to his lips. He was so hungry, but he didn’t want to appear weak in front of the alpha. He took small bites, very deliberately chewing and swallowing each time. When he’d finished, he took a gulp of the water.

 

The alpha watched in silence as Yuuri polished off the food that was given to him. It wasn’t much, but it filled the hole in his stomach that had been threatening to grumble. Yuuri blushed slightly under the gaze, but refused to speak any more. He set his empty water bottle down and leant against the wall.

 

They stared at each other for a while, the alpha eyeing Yuuri with curiosity and hunger in his eyes. Yuuri simply maintained eye contact, his jaw set. He was determined not to be afraid of this man, even with the alpha pheromones in the air.

 

“You’re so beautiful, Yuuri,” the alpha cooed, almost like he was talking to an animal. “But where is your scent? You smell so beautiful, I want to smell it again,”

 

Yuuri’s eyes narrowed. _Why is he talking like we’ve met before?_

The alpha leaned forward to touch Yuuri’s neck glands. Yuuri kept his eyes fixed on the alpha’s. Boss caressed down Yuuri’s neck until he felt what he was looking for – and ripped the scent patch off from the omega’s neck. He buried his nose in Yuuri’s neck, searching desperately for a scent that Yuuri knew was not there. The thought made him smile slightly.

 

The alpha growled below him.

 

“So you’re taking this whole scent suppression thing seriously then?” he snarled, pulling back from Yuuri’s neck to look at his face. “Even after that bastard has clearly marked you, how curious. At least I don’t have to smell him on you,”

 

He resumed his seat on the floor, Yuuri still remaining motionless and silent. Boss chuckled to himself, absentmindedly picking up the discarded water bottle and crushing it in his hands. He sat like that for a few minutes, the crunching sound of the plastic bouncing off the walls in the small room.

 

“He is pretty as well, your friend,” Boss mused “Can’t wait to have our way with that one,”

 

 _Don’t react_ Yuuri willed himself. _He’s just trying to scare you._

“Of course, you don’t have to worry about the others,” the alpha continued, a menacing smile tugging at his lips. “Unless I’m forced to change my mind,”

 

Still, Yuuri remained motionless. Boss sighed, uncrossing his legs to get to his feet.

 

“As thrilling as this conversation is, Yuuri, I have some things to take care of,” he said playfully, dusting himself off now that he was standing. “Make yourself at home,” he punctuated his sentence with a wink.

 

Yuuri wrinkled his nose slightly in contempt, earning a small laugh from the alpha, who knocked twice on the metal door.

 

“I know I said I’d forgive you this once, but maybe I won’t feed your friend tomorrow,” Boss said, still facing the door. It shrieked open once again, and he stepped through.

 

Yuuri’s teeth were grinding with anger. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes; his breathing became deep and rapid. He was so conflicted – he had no idea where Yurio was, or if these threats were empty. He had no idea whether his actions really would impact on Yurio’s treatment.

 

He paced around the room in an attempt to calm down. If he could just find a way to speak to Yurio, to hear his voice… he knew that yelling would just bring the horrible alphas back. He walked up to the door, placing his hands on the surface. Flakes of red paint clung to his palms, which were sticky with sweat against the cold metal of the door. Yuuri turned his attention to the hinges, to see if they were a weak spot that he could work on, but they looked solidly welded to the door and the frame, interlocking in a way that wold be impossible for him to separate. He lowered himself so that his face was on the ground, squinting at the almost non-existent gap underneath the door.

 

Yuuri pulled himself up, sighing. He let his forehead rest against the cold metal, focussing on steadying his breathing.

 

In a calmer state, he examined the rest of the room. One corner was taken up by a small mattress, a blanket in a heap on top. In another corner was a bucket. A lightbulb hung from the ceiling, far too high for Yuuri to reach. He pulled the mattress to the other side of the room, in case it was hiding anything. It wasn’t. He picked up the bucket to see if it held anything. It didn’t.

 

Yuuri lost track of how long he spent pacing the room. He needed to move, keep himself focussed and calm. The only time he stopped was to pee, which he had desperately held in until he realised that that was the purpose of the bucket in the corner. He walked rhythmically around the room, his steps echoing slightly around him.

 

_You smell so beautiful, I want to smell it again_

Yuuri’ mind went racing because of one sentence. Unlike the others, Boss made no attempt to hide his face from the omega. He had even tried to control Yuuri using his pheromones – and scarily almost succeeded.

 

_That bastard has clearly marked you_

Not only did he speak as though he knew Yuuri, but like he knew Victor as well.

 

_It’ll only get worse for your blonde friend_

Why had he taken Yurio too?

 

Yuuri sank to the floor, burying his head in his hands. He was terrified, but he knew he couldn’t afford to show that. He rose again, continuing to pace, to try and iron out the many thoughts wracking his brain.

 

**

 

Yuuri was woken by the sound of metal screeching on metal. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking in the harsh light of the room. After hours of pacing, he had curled up on the mattress, drifting in and out of uneasy sleep. He heard a delicate clink from beside him, and felt a warm hand stroke down the side of his face.

 

Yuuri propelled himself upwards, shying away from the touch. He clutched the blanket into himself, glaring at Boss, who had entered the room with more food and water. Behind him, a man unfamiliar to Yuuri was taking away the bucket, before closing the door once more.

 

“Good morning, beautiful,” said Boss, sitting cross-legged on the ground as he had done the previous night. “I brought you some breakfast,”

 

Yuuri frowned at the compliment. It felt so wrong.

 

_You smell so beautiful, I want to smell it again_

The words span through Yuuri’s head once more. Who was this alpha? Why was he speaking to Yuuri in such a way? He was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice Boss holding the plate up towards him.

 

“Here,” he said softly, but with a hint of annoyance “I thought an athlete like yourself might be tempted by some fresh fruit,”

 

Yuuri’s eyebrows furrowed further, glaring at the alpha. His hand flew upwards, knocking the plate clean out of Boss’ hand. Pieces of fruit rolled all over the room, and the plate smashed on contact with the floor.

 

“What the fuck?!” growled the alpha, hands flying around Yuuri’s neck. “You ungrateful little shit,”

 

His hands squeezed around Yuuri’s throat, making the omega gasp for breath – but he still kept his eye contact with the alpha.

 

“If… Yurio… doesn’t eat… then neither… do I!” He choked. The alpha growled, and squeezed tighter for a split second, before releasing and moving his hands down to Yuuri’s shoulders. As Yuuri was gasping for breath, the alpha sank his face into Yuuri’s neck, inhaling deeply.

 

Boss rose back up to meet Yuuri’s face, his face had softened again and his pupils were slightly wider than normal.

 

“It’s coming back…” he whispered “your scent!”

 

Yuuri clenched his jaw and locked eyes with the alpha yet again.

 

“Who are you?” he croaked, breath still slightly ragged.

 

The alpha laughed, reaching up to stroke Yuuri’s soft black hair. His thumb ghosted over Yuuri’s bottom lip. He leant his whole body into Yuuri.

 

Yuuri was frozen solid, momentarily overcome with submission due to the powerful pheromones from the alpha. He held his breath as his face tickled from the other man’s hair brushing past his cheek, his lips faintly touching Yuuri’s earlobe.

 

“I’m your alpha,”

 

 _He’s insane!_ Yuuri was still frozen, eyes wide and staring into the distance. _He’s a deluded psycho!_

Boss pulled his head back to meet Yuuri’s gaze. He began leaning in for a kiss, until Yuuri snorted.

 

“What is wrong with you?” Yuuri spluttered, covering his mouth with his hands to supress the laughter. “You’re a bit late for that!”

 

Seeing Boss’ face fall, Yuuri burst into a fit of laughter. He doubled over, clutching his belly as he howled. He could feel the alpha’s angry gaze boring into him, but that just made him laugh more. He didn’t even stop when the alpha grabbed the front of his shirt in a fist and slammed him against the wall.

 

“You’re awfully bold, mocking me like this,” the alpha snarled “You already forgotten about your little friend?”

 

Yuuri was breathing heavily, slightly lightheaded from his laughing fit. He locked eyes with Boss once more.

 

“Of course I haven’t,” he replied “but I don’t believe you,”

 

Boss stared at him for a moment, looking taken aback by the statement. He loosened his grip on Yuuri’s shirt.

 

“Oh, you’ll believe me soon enough,” he whispered, his lips curling up at the corners. He reached out a hand to stroke Yuuri’s face, but the omega flinched away from the contact. “I’ve tried to be reasonable with you, Yuuri, but it appears that we will have to do this the hard way,”

 

Suddenly, Boss grabbed the front of Yuuri’s shirt, wrenching him downwards. Yuuri’s hands flew around the alpha’s arm, but the larger man shifted his weight and pinned Yuuri down on the mattress by the chest.

 

“Tape!” the alpha bellowed. Yuuri hardly noticed as he desperately tried to position his legs in such a way that he could escape the hold – but Boss straddled Yuuri’s thighs and sunk his weight into him. His free hand gripped one of Yuuri’s wrists and pulled it upwards, jolting the omega’s shoulder. Yuuri cried out as his other hand was caught as well, stretched high into the air.

 

Struggling was useless. His legs were pinned and his arms painfully stretched. Tears stung the back of his eyes as he looked up at Boss, whose downward gaze was full of lust. It terrified Yuuri. The omega began to quiver in fear, which seemed to excite the alpha even more – Boss’ pupils dilated and he licked his lips, biting down slightly on his bottom lip.

 

The alpha broke eye contact when a large beta entered the room with a roll of gaffer tape. The silver flashed past Yuuri’s eyes as the beta set the tape down on the floor beside the mattress.

 

_I’m sorry, Victor._

The tears spilled from Yuuri’s eyes as the beta took his hands.

 

_I only ever wanted this with you._

Boss relented his grip on Yuuri’s wrists and released the pressure on his legs.

 

_I love you, Victor._

His body was flipped over onto his front. Yuuri held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut as his arms were folded behind his back and taped together.

 

“Please, don’t!” he cried as he felt hands knead his buttocks, stroking down his thighs.

 

The alpha and beta cackled in unison. Yuuri heard the ripping of more tape, and his legs were bound together both above and below his knees.

 

“That ought to teach you a lesson for now,” Growled Boss, threading his fingers through Yuuri’s hair and forcing the omega to look at him. “The little Russian kitty cat will pay dearly for your mistakes, Yuuri,”

 

“You’re evil,” Yuuri sobbed. Boss smirked and kissed him on the cheek. Yuuri’s tears did nothing to sooth the burn that lingered from the alpha’s lips. The two men left, slamming the door behind them, leaving Yurri bound and crying in the cold room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I lied just back to one Yuuri, I'm sorry!


	7. Knife Edge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I update this regularly because I can't afford a real therapist
> 
> Trigger Warnings:  
> Verbal abuse, slight gore, physical abuse

Yuri sat in the corner of the room, shivering violently. He pulled the blanket tighter around him, but it was no use. The young omega had no idea how long he had been in the room, especially due to its windowless nature and the constant glare of the fluorescent light above him.

 

After his encounters with his captors, he had slipped off into sleep. Again, he had no idea how long for. He woke numerous times from his sleep in pain and discomfort – his butt would go numb from sitting on the floor, his shoulders ached from being propped up in the corner. He tried to lie down at one point, shuffling awkwardly on the concrete floor, but somehow that was even worse. He tried folding up the blanket to fashion a pillow, but he was far too cold without it.

 

Some time passed and he no longer felt sleepy. He moved about the small room, both to entertain himself and to get himself warm. Mostly he just stretched or jogged on the spot for a number of hours, before the hunger got too much. He slumped to the ground, his stomach rumbling.

 

Not only was he starving, but his throat was dry as a bone. He had foolishly exercised, even if it was only mild, without a single drop of water.

 

He had read somewhere that a human could live for 3 days without fresh water. He already felt like he was drying up and shrivelling away into nothing, but he refused to believe it had been 3 days.

 

He clutched his stomach as a cramp ripped through him, a long grumble piercing the silence of the room. It felt like his stomach was turning in on itself, contorting around in his abdomen, desperate for something to digest.

 

So, he found himself yet again sat up in the corner, huddled in the little blanket. He wished he could fall asleep again, but the pains in his stomach were preventing that.

 

_“Yura,” Otabek whispered in his ear “may I kiss you?”_

_“You don’t need to ask every time, Beka,” Yuri replied breathily, rolling over slightly to face the alpha._

_They were lay on Yuri’s bed at his hotel room, having just finished a qualifying event for the Worlds, where Yuri had taken gold and Otabek had taken silver. That night they had gone for dinner with the other skaters, and they had hardy taken their hands off each other, which hadn’t gone unnoticed by their friends. Victor’s gaze lingered on Otabek on more than one occasion – frowning slightly when the Kazakh wrapped his arm around the young Russian’s waist. Mila and Chris bombarded him with texts from across the table, most of them suggestive and ending with several winky faces. Minami was staring at them with a mixture of curiosity and envy. Phichit had taken several sneaky snapchats of them and uploaded them onto his story, which was sure to send the fans wild._

_Despite all of this, Yuri didn’t feel defensive. He simply smiled at Victor, sent equally stupid things back to Mila and Chris, engaged Minami in conversation about his skating, and screenshotted a particularly cute snap of Phichit’s. He shuffled closer into Otabek, inhaling his beautiful scent, like green tea and black cherries. Whenever he was near the alpha, the world seemed to stop. Everything that would usually irritate him simply floated on by. He was truly happy when he was with Otabek._

_When they had returned to the hotel, he and Otabek lay on his bed, watching a shitty movie that was on the television, talking over the adverts about nothing and everything. Their legs became entangled, Yuri’s head became nestled into Otabek’s shoulder, and he found himself drunk off the alpha’s scent once more. Otabek always asked before he kissed him, and although he complained, he loved it._

_Soon they were entangled in each other’s arms as well, Yuri’s long blonde hair threaded through Otabek’s fingers. As they made out, Yuri gently pulled Otabek’s hips closer to his own, earning a slight moan from the alpha as his growing erection rubbed against Yuri._

_They had done plenty of things before, of course, but never all the way. Neither of them had had much experience – Otabek had only seen his ruts through in the company of others – especially not with someone they actually deeply cared for._

_Yuri’s thumb slid under the waistband of Otabek’s jeans, and he dragged it round slowly from the alpha’s hip to his crotch, causing his breath to hitch and breaking the kiss. Yuri gave him a teasing nip on the lower lip, dragging his palm across the bulge in Otabek’s pants._

_“Fuck, Yura...” came the thick moan from Otabek, which only got louder and longer as Yuri slipped his hand under the alpha’s shirt to toy with his nipple. Otabek melted beneath him, and Yuri took his lips in a kiss once again, this time more eager. He urged Otabek to remove his shirt so that he could caress the man’s chiselled abs, watch the muscles ripple beneath his touch._

_Yuri had no idea how turned on he could get by just teasing someone else. He felt his face flush with arousal as he moved his kisses down Otabek’s chest, taking a nipple in his mouth and watching the alpha squirm. Yuri slowly and teasingly unbuttoned Otabek’s jeans, slipping his hand beneath to cup his huge erection. He moved to the side as Otabek kicked his jeans off to the floor, taking off his own shirt and jeans._

_Otabek whined, mumbling that he wanted to undress Yuri, but he was soon silenced when Yuri’s mouth met with his, kissing him greedily as he swung his leg over to straddle the alpha. They moaned simultaneously as their cocks rubbed against one another, still encased in their boxers. Yuri slowly humped Otabek, both of them moaning and caressing the other’s body._

_“Beka…” Yuri breathed, arching his back as Otabek squeezed his ass with both hands. “Beka, I want you to fuck me,”_

_Yuri didn’t skip a beat when the words came out of his mouth, still grinding his hips into the alpha’s, who was gripping Yuri’s hips and panting slightly._

_“Yura,” he gasped quietly “are you sure?”_

_“If you don’t want to, that’s ok,” Yuri stammered, meeting Otabek’s gaze. The alpha’s pupils had blown wide, his face was flushed red and his hair was damp and ruffled._

_“I want to, Yura, god I want to so badly,” he moaned, bucking his hips up slightly._

_“Then what are you waiting for?” Yuri panted._

_Otabek flipped the blonde onto his back and crawled between his legs, kissing him feverishly. They both moaned as their throbbing dicks rubbed against one another. The alpha travelled his kisses down Yuri’s chest and to the top of his boxers. He pinched them between his teeth. Yuri lifted his hips off the bed, and Otabek pulled his underwear off in one swift move._

_They paused for a moment, panting heavily. Yuri could see the hunger in Otabek’s eyes as the alpha drank in the sight of his naked body._

_“So beautiful,” the alpha whispered, eyes lingering on Yuri’s cock dripping with precum, and the tight little hole between his pale buttocks. Yuri reached up to caress Otabek’s body whilst the alpha reached into the nightstand, bringing out a bottle of lube and a condom. Yuri writhed on the bed, further turned on by the sight – it meant that they were really going to do this._

_Otabek leant down to shakily kiss Yuri, who melted into the touch. He whined slightly when their lips parted._

_“Tell me, Yura,” Otabek stammered “Tell me to stop if it gets too much,”_

_Yuri responded by pulling the alpha back down for another frantic kiss, guiding his hand down between his legs. Otabek pulled up, reaching for the lube and popping it open, and Yuri saw him shaking as he poured a generous amount onto his fingers. Yuri parted his legs and the alpha knelt down between them, stroking Yuri’s hole with his index finger. Yuri whined at the touch, flinching slightly from the cold of the lube._

_“Beka,” he whispered “please, I can’t wait any longer,”_

_And with that, Otabek pushed his first finger in, never breaking eye contact with the man beneath him. Yuri gasped as the initial intrusion, but Otabek took it slowly, dragging his finger in and out until Yuri was accustomed to the feel – and then, he slipped in another finger._

_Yuri moaned loudly. He had never felt pleasure like it. Otabek continued to thrust his fingers gently and Yuri rocked his hips to meet them. He watched the alpha through lidded eyes, watched as he gritted his teeth and pushed his way deeper inside._

_“Oh god, Beka, more,” he mewled “please, Beka,”_

_Yuri watched as Otabek fought to contain his need to take him then and there, instead adding a third finger, and slightly speeding up his pace._

_God, Yuri had never felt so good. His pleasure was intensified by the thick scent pouring off the alpha, but still he wanted more. He pulled Otabek down, so that their foreheads were pressed together and their eyes bored into one another’s. He squealed slightly as Otabek withdrew his fingers, feeling his hole clench at the sudden emptiness. There was a slight rustle, and Otabek had quickly rolled the condom on._

_Otabek’s eyes never left Yuri’s as he lined his cock up with the Russian man’s entrance. The alpha’s face was out of focus because it was so close, but Yuri could see that his pupils were dilated beyond what he thought was possible._

_Then, Otabek pushed himself in. Yuri cried out, but wrapped his arms around Otabek’s shoulders to encourage him to continue. It took a couple of seconds for Otabek to fully enter Yuri, and when he had, he stopped for a moment. He was panting hard, his legs shaking between Yuri’s. He slowly pulled all the way out, before sliding back in again._

_“Fuck, Yura, you feel so good,” he growled. “You look so beautiful like this,”_

_Yuri wrapped his legs around the alpha’s waist in response, pushing his heels inwards slightly to push the alpha further inside. And when Otabek groaned and buried his head in Yuri’s shoulder, he ground his hips down._

_“Beka…” he stammered. “Please, please fuck me,”_

_Otabek growled and pulled himself upright, pulling Yuri’s ass up off the bed. Yuri gasped at the movement, further turned on by the sensations it generated. It was like a switch had gone off in Otabek’s mind – he began thrusting hard and fast into the blonde, gripping tightly to his hips. Yuri began to cry out – Otabek’s name at first, but soon it just became incoherent shouts of pleasure. The alpha took one of Yuri’s legs and hitched it up onto his shoulder, driving his cock further into the younger man’s ass. Yuri screamed with pleasure as Otabek thrust into him, hitting his prostate._

_The alpha was panting hard, having kept up his thrusts for a number of minutes. Yuri was a mess beneath him, hair sprawled out, mouth wide open and body flushed pink._

_Yuri was exhausted, but he still wanted more. His hands travelled down to his own cock, gasping loudly when Otabek touched it first. The alpha began to pump Yuri in his hand at the same pace as he was thrusting, and Yuri could do nothing but clutch the sheets and scream Otabek’s name, over and over again. His whole body shuddered, and he cried out as his orgasm pulsed through him. He could feel his ass clenching down on Otabek at the same time, and the alpha’s thrusts got inexplicably faster. Yuri was sobbing with pleasure and overstimulation when Otabek grunted, filling Yuri with his cum. The alpha rode out his orgasm, lowering himself down to catch Yuri’s lips in a messy kiss._

_Their eyes met when Otabek pulled up from the kiss. They gazed at one another, panting heavily. Yuri felt his vision go slightly hazy and his head spin from the pheromones pouring out of the alpha. He whined as Otabek slowly pulled himself out, and he wrapped his heavy legs around the alpha’s waist once more._

_“Yura, we just finished,” Otabek laughed, but Yuri kept pulling him closer. “Yura, I… I can’t go again just now,” If he wasn’t already red from exertion, he would have blushed._

_“Please, please, you didn’t knot me,” Yuri whined, clawing at Otabek’s chest. “Please, alpha, please, I need you,”_

_Otabek’s eyes widened and his breathing stopped for a moment. Yuri was desperately trying to persuade him to carry on._

_“What…?” Otabek whispered, pulling away._

_“No! Alpha please I need you!” Yuri cried, and he felt the inside of his thighs become sticky._

_Otabek pried Yuri’s arms off of him, and the blonde began to sob._

_“Alpha, please… please knot me,” he mewled, trying desperately to pull Otabek back into bed._

_He watched helplessly as Otabek clapped his hand across his nose and mouth, before bolting into the bathroom and locking the door. Yuri dragged his aching body off of the bed and towards the door. He felt like he was on fire, and where only minutes ago there had been overwhelming pleasure, now there was only pain. He pawed at the door, pleading with Otabek to come back inside and help him._

_“Yakov! Thank god! I know that it’s late yes but this is an emergency!”_

_Yuri cried out at the sound of the alpha’s voice, slick rushing out onto the floor. He needed him more than anything._

_“Please help, Yuri has gone into heat!”_

Yuri let the tears cascade down his cheeks. For years now, he had struggled with his omega status. He resented it for ruining that night with Otabek; he resented it for the strong negative effect it had on his skating; he resented it for putting him in his current position.

 

Hot wet tears splashed down onto Yuri’s lap as he recalled that night that he presented, how he had shamelessly begged Otabek to take him and mark him. The alpha helped Yuri through that first heat, but then they started to grow distant. He had hated that too. He tried to put on the façade of man comfortable with his secondary gender, but it was no use.

 

He found it inexplicable how much Otabek was willing to put up with. They salvaged their relationship, helped in part by Yuri spending most of that off season away in Moscow with his Grandpa. When he returned to skating, he struggled to get places and to qualify, which made all the difference to his once very arrogant personality.

 

Eventually, he and Otabek became a normal couple, not alpha and omega. They fell in love, lived together and trained together. The turning point was when they had had sex for the second time – which was quite a while after the first time – when he learnt that it could be solely about pleasure, without pain and humiliation at the end.

 

Yet here he was, reliving that pain. His walls had been knocked down and he laid bare and helpless, trapped in a reality where omega equals weak and alpha equals strong. His stomach churned once again.

 

An eternity later, the door swung open and two alphas sauntered in. Yuri barely registered them, until they were towering over him, glaring down with their hungry eyes.

 

“Hey, you still with us blondie?” Russian said, leaning down to tilt Yuri’s head up to meet them. “We brought you a present!”

 

Yuri’s eyes widened as the alpha shook a water bottle in front of his nose. He snatched at it, but it was pulled away.

 

“Ah-ah! What’s the magic word?” said the alpha with artificial sweetness.

 

Yuri licked his dry lips. “Please,” he croaked.

 

“Please… what?” Russian replied, and Yuri could hear the malicious smile in his voice.

 

Yuri swallowed, his eyes once again filling with tears. “Please… alpha,”

 

“Good boy,” Russian cooed. He handed the bottle to Yuri, who didn’t hesitate to take it, rip the cap off and down the water. He felt the cold liquid hit his stomach, and relished the last mouthful before finally swallowing it.

 

However, the relief didn’t last long, as each alpha seized an arm and wrenched him up off the floor. Yuri’s head span at the sudden movement, and he struggled to find his feet. Once he was balanced, the alphas laughed cruelly; one shoved his shoulder downwards as the other kicked the back of his knee, forcing him into a kneeling position on the floor, with his arms stretched up and out. He stared down at the floor, his lip quivering. Then, a pair of feet clad in thick socks appeared in his vision. He gulped, and let his eyes travel up the blue jeans and black t-shirt, until he met the dark eyes of an unnervingly handsome man.

 

The man’s arms were folded, and he was looking down at Yuri with a small smirk on his face. They locked eyes in the silence, Yuri’s whole body shaking now. He winced in pain as the alphas tightened their grips on his arms, but he remained staring at the man. He was somehow enraptured and unable to look away. His head spun as the heavy scent of peppermint forced him into submission.

 

This alpha was something terrifying. Yuri tried desperately to ignore the commands intertwined in the pheromones, but it was no use. He tried to back away as the alpha crouched down to Yuri’s level, but he was trapped in the arms of the other men. His whole body was visibly shaking now, his green eyes bulging with fear.

 

“Well, aren’t you an obedient little thing,” came the eloquent voice of the alpha in front of him. “What a perfect little omega we’ve bagged ourselves,”

 

The alphas all chuckled darkly, and all Yuri could do in reply was stare.

 

“Let him go,” the handsome one commanded. Yuri was dropped onto the floor, but he managed to catch himself, his hands slapping against the cold floor. The two other alphas began to walk out of the room.

 

“What do you need, Boss?” German grunted on his way past. Yuri heard him hum in thought.

 

“Just a knife will do,” he replied nonchalantly. “Make sure it’s sharp,”

 

It was enough to make the tears return to Yuri’s eyes. The face of the alpha in front of him swam, contorting his smile into something horrific.

 

“Please don’t kill me,” Yuri whispered. “Please, I’ll do anything,”

 

Boss raised his eyebrows but didn’t reply. The tears were rolling down Yuri’s face now. He forced himself to stop. If he was going to die, he wanted to do so with dignity.

 

Boss didn’t even look up when he was handed the knife. The alphas had returned, and the beta as well, watching from the doorway.

 

Yuri decided that there was nothing undignified about trying to escape death.

 

“Please!” He cried “Please, I’ll do anything! I don’t want to die!”

 

The three at the door were laughing down at him, but Boss still crouched with an unreadable expression, spinning the knife slowly around in his hands. Yuri moved slowly from his position on all fours, folding his body over his knees and stretching his hands out in front of him, so that he sat in a begging position.

 

“Please… alpha…” he whispered, his tears splashing down on the floor below him.

 

There was a moments pause before he was yanked up by the hair. He cried out, his hands flying up to the pain in his head. Boss had stood up, pulling Yuri into a kneeling position again.

 

“Open your eyes,” Boss commanded in a deep voice. Yuri let his eyes flutter open to see the tip of the knife pointing right between his clavicles. His breathing became erratic as he started to panic at the sight of it, but he was stilled by another wave of pheromones from the alpha.

 

German and Beta were suddenly at his side, pulling his arms up and outwards again. He cried as the knife came dangerously close to his skin, wanting so badly to look away.

 

Boss grabbed the front of Yuri’s shirt, exposing more of the omegas chest. Then, he pulled the knife down, tearing Yuri’s shirt open in one swift move. Yuri gasped with relief, and he fell forward as Beta and German relented their grip. His clothes were torn off him, the cold air hitting his skin hard. He tried to wrap his arms around his torso to cover himself and retain some heat, but they were yanked back once again. He shuddered as his back met with the concrete floor. Boss stretched the omegas legs out, running his hand along the inside of Yuri’s thigh. Yuri was hyperventilating now, and he watched Boss plunge the knife towards his crotch. He screamed in anticipated pain, but the alpha was ripping at Yuri’s jeans with the knife, tearing them to shreds and discarding them on the floor.

 

Clothes – or what remained of them – lay scattered on the floor of the small room. Yuri was pinned to the ground, trembling as Boss drank in the sight of his nearly naked body on the floor. The alpha stroked down Yuri’s thighs again, his thumbs caressing the smooth skin. His hand paused momentarily when it reached Yuri’s knee, but he soon carried on stroking downwards until he reached Yuri’s feet.

 

“I wonder…” mumbled Boss, squeezing slightly on Yuri’s ankles. Then, he wrenched Yuri’s leg upwards, holding it in front of his face. One hand was gripping his ankle, and the other – still holding the knife – came up to hold nearer Yuri’ toes.

 

“No foot, no horse,” Boss said, grinning. “If I broke your little ankle right now, would that end your career?”

 

Yuri stared at him, tears rolling silently down his cheeks. The alpha gripped harder with both hands.

 

“No…” he continued. “Bones are easier to repair. Better blood supply, you see. Now what would really fuck you up?”

 

Yuri’s breath caught in his throat as he watched the alpha examine the leg in front of him. After a few long seconds, Boss’s face lit up.

 

“I know! Your Achilles!” he beamed, bringing the knife down to rest against the back of Yuri’s ankle. “Just like the myth! I’ll make it a weak spot, cut it up nicely so that no doctor can repair you properly!

 

Yuri began to plead once again, sobbing and choking on his tears. He felt the knife dig into his flesh, felt a trickle of blood run down his leg.

 

“You’ll be lucky if you can even walk again!” laughed Boss, his eyes staring down at Yuri, making the omega tremble with fear. “But, I don’t want to be selling damaged goods. Maybe another day,”

 

Yuri cried out in relief as Boss pulled the knife away and dropped the omega’s leg to the floor.

 

Russian, German and Beta were told to leave the room. The door slammed shut, and Yuri was left curled on the floor in only his boxers, shaking like a leaf. He scurried into the corner as Boss approached him, still with the knife in his hand. The alpha crowded Yuri further into the corner, before crouching down to the omega’s level again.

 

“You have Yuuri to thank for this,” said Boss, pointing the knife at Yuri again. “I gave him pretty simple instructions – do as I say, and Yuri Plisetsky will not be harmed. He said he didn’t believe me. Some friend, willing to sacrifice your life just to piss me off. Or maybe omegas really are just too dumb to operate on their own,”

 

Yuri stared at him with wide open eyes, still shivering. This alpha was something else, someone indescribably twisted and cruel.

 

“I was intending to feed you, Yurio, I really was,” Boss continued. “But Yuuri’s behaviour forced me to punish him. Which of course, means punishing you too. So, you went a whole day without food or water because of him! Who’d have thought that? From beautiful, sweet Katsuki Yuuri,”

 

Boss looked at the ground, his lips pushed together in a mask of faux guilt. The alpha was convincing and powerful for sure, but Yuri refused to believe a word from his lips. The alpha looked back up at him, pouting slightly.

 

“You don’t believe me either,” he sulked. “Well, why don’t you ask him yourself!” He continued cheerily, his eyes lighting up and his mouth stretched into a smile.

 

Yuri stared at him blankly as the alpha rose to his feet. The smile disappeared from the alpha’s face.

 

“You don’t make it easy for yourself, do you?” he sighed. Suddenly his hand plunged down onto Yuri’s head, grabbing a fistful of his hair, wrenching him up to his feet once again. Yuri cried out as he was dragged from the room. The door swung open and they marched down a corridor, Yuri whimpering as the alpha tugged harshly on his hair with every step.

 

When they reached another red door, Beta swung it open and Boss pulled Yuri inside.

 

Yuri cried out once again when he saw Yuuri on a mattress on the floor, his arms and legs taped together. Boss never let Yuri’s hair go, instead hovering the knife above his scalp, and then slicing a large chunk of the blonde’s hair off.

 

Yuri staggered over to the other omega, who was struggling against his bonds and crying silently. He pulled desperately at the tape in an attempt to free his friend, as their captors watched, laughing.

 

“I think you two have a lot to catch up on!” shouted Boss, before locking the omegas in.

 

“Yurio,” Yuuri sobbed “Yurio, I’m so sorry. What have they done to you? This is all my fault,”

 

“Shut up, Katsudon!” Yuri sobbed in reply. “Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare blame yourself for this!”

 

Yuri began to rip the tape off using his teeth, and eventually Yuuri was freed. The Japanese omega lunged at his younger friend, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug.

 

The two omegas sat in each other’s arms for a moment, both shaking with sobs. Yuuri pulled away, pushing his glasses on top of his head to rub at his tear-soaked face.

 

“I’m… so… sorry, Yurio,” he hiccupped, staring down at his hands in his lap. “Here… take this,”

 

Yuuri removed his jumper, handing it to Yuri. It was far too big for the younger omega, but he snuggled right into it, so grateful for the residual warmth off Yuuri’s body. Yuuri stood, wobbling slightly, and made his way over to the bucket in the corner.

 

When he returned, he wrapped the blanket around Yuri, tucking it in under his legs. They both sat against the wall, sniffling, Yuuri’s hiccups bouncing off the walls of the tiny room. 

 

“We should share this,” mumbled Yuri, holding out one edge of the blanket to invite Yuuri under. “We should share our body heat,”

 

Yuuri shuffled closer and wrapped his arm around Yuri’s shoulder, and they both huddled under the blanket, holding each other. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the sensation of being near another person, especially sharing their body heat.

 

“What are they going to do to us, Yuuri?” the younger man whispered. “What if they like, Human Centipede us?”

 

“Well they’d need 3 of us for that so I think we’re good,” Yuuri replied in a deadpan voice. They turned their heads to look at one another, and then burst out laughing.

 

They savoured the moment, that blissful feeling of laughing at a stupid joke. Yuri knew that things were only going to get worse – and looking into Yuuri’s eyes, it was clear that he was thinking the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 cheers for smut! Please let me know if it was any good!!
> 
> I really really enjoy writing this and it makes me so happy to see other people enjoying it! <3


	8. Here They Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well this was hard to write! 
> 
> Thank you to Punkflame for beta reading :D 
> 
> Trigger warnings:  
> Physical abuse

The blanket trembled as the two omegas beneath it began to struggle for warmth. They lay on the mattress, Yuri with his back to the older man, whose arms and legs were wrapped tightly around his body.

 

Yuuri hoped that the younger omega would forgive him. He had been such a terrible friend. All that Yuri had gone through was because of his actions. He wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for Yuuri! He held the blonde tighter, nuzzling into what remained of his hair.

 

“Tell me what happened,” Yuri whispered. “Whatever you think you did wrong, it’s not true. Everything that’s happened to us is because of them,”

 

Yuuri sniffed in response, swallowing the lump in his throat. Yuri shuffled himself around so that the two of them were face to face, but Yuuri couldn’t meet his eyes.

 

“You didn’t eat for a whole day,” he whispered back. “He told me he would punish you if I didn’t behave, and he did. I’m so sorry,” tears stung the back of his eyes, a single one escaping and landing on the mattress below him. He had suffered many defeats in his life, and this one felt no different. “I don’t want them to hurt you anymore. I’ll just do as he says from now on,”

 

He glanced up to lock brown eyes with green. Yuri was staring back at him, eyes glistening with tears.

 

“No, you won’t,” the blonde snapped. “They didn’t do anything to me! Don’t sit there and take anything from these bastards, no matter what they say!”

 

Yuuri felt cold hands cup his face, gentle fingers wiping away the tears as they fell.

 

“I don’t know what these arseholes want, but we can’t give it to them,” Yuri continued, gentler than before. “We can’t let them win!”

 

Yuuri sat up, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to force the tears to stop. He buried his head in his knees.

 

“He thinks he’s my alpha. They want me, I don’t know why. I don’t even know who he is,” Yuuri sobbed. “He seems to hate Victor as well. I just don’t understand, Yurio,”

 

Long arms wrapped around Yuuri’s shoulders, and he melted into the touch, sobbing loudly. Yuri pulled him back down to lie on the mattress, lying behind him so he could envelop him in a hug. Yuuri felt the blonde rest his head slightly beneath his own, nuzzling into the Japanese man’s neck.

 

“I don’t care who they think they are, Katsudon,” said Yuri sternly. “We are not giving into them, you understand?”

 

Yuri cradled the older omega, gently stroking his hair to soothe him, until his sobs died down and his breathing became regular once again. Yuuri found his friends hand with his own and gave it a tight squeeze.

 

“You’re right Yurio, you’re right,” he said flatly. “All I want is to keep you safe, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stand up for myself,” his hand was squeezed in return, fingers interlocking. He was pulled closer still to the blonde, who nuzzled his nose into his neck again.

 

“Of course I’m right, I’m always right,” he mumbled into Yuuri’s back. “Yuuri… did he… your scent is coming back…”

 

Yuuri froze, his friend’s breath tickling the back of his neck, making the baby hairs there stand on end. Of course, Boss had taken off his patches! His other scent blockers had to be used really regularly too, so their effects were fading fast. He dreaded to think what difference that would make.

 

_You smell so beautiful, I want to smell it again._

He shuddered at the memory of the alpha’s voice, so vivid it felt like he was right next to him. An omega’s scent could trigger a rut in any alpha, but this one was crazy and deluded… he blocked the thoughts of what might happen to the back of his mind.

 

“I-It’s ok,” Yuuri stammered, putting on a fake smile. “Y-You are on suppressants as well, r-right? S-So your scent will be fine for a while,”

 

“Yeah… for about a month?” Yuri mumbled in reply. “But, any longer, and…”

 

Yuuri gulped. He didn’t want to think about Yuri going into heat surrounded by these disgusting alphas. He flipped over to face the blonde again.

 

“One month. We can figure out a way out of here before it gets to that, Yurio,” he said, clutching the younger man’s shoulder tightly.

 

They lay facing one another for a while, holding hands and drifting in and out of sleep. Yuuri had never thought of the blonde as a particularly affectionate person – especially not with him – but in times of distress it was common for omegas to seek the comforting touch of one another. Truth be told, it was helping Yuuri too. He watched the blonde’s chest gently rise and fall, the slow and steady motion helping to calm his own anxiety. Several times, Yuri snuggled closer in towards him, trying to inhale his faint yet familiar scent. He wrapped his arms around the younger man, tucking his head into the crook of his neck.

 

 _We’ll get out of here, Yuri._ He thought. _The two of us are smart enough to come up with a plan._ He placed a gentle kiss to the blonde’s forehead.

 

That’s when he heard a click from behind him. He held his breath and clutched Yuri tighter. The red door screamed as it opened, thudding against the wall, the sound ringing in his ears. Yuuri scrunched his eyes shut.

 

He wanted to be brave, he wanted to protect his friend, but he was terrified. As the stench of wet dogs and cigarettes reached them, Yuuri felt the younger omega’s grip on him tighten. They lay clutching each other as footsteps approached them, stopping inches away from their bodies.

 

“Get up,” German commanded, breathing down Yuuri’s ear.

 

Yuuri slowly opened his eyes, he could see Yuri shaking in front of him, his eyes squeezed shut. The Japanese man slowly rose, and when he turned to face the alpha, he leant protectively over Yuri.

 

German glared at him for a moment. Yuuri took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever abuse awaited him. Russian also crouched down to the omega’s level, and it took all of Yuuri’s strength to stop his body from trembling.

 

“Why do you still have clothes on?” grunted Russian. “Take them off,”

 

Yuuri gulped. He didn’t want to know what would happen if he didn’t do as the alphas told him. He raised his shaky hands up to the buttons on his shirt.

 

“I don’t think so,” growled Russian. He grabbed the front of Yuuri’s shirt and pulled him upwards, and the omega wobbled as he found his feet. The alphas stepped back slightly and folded their arms, looking down at Yuuri with eyes full of hunger and desire.

 

Yuuri let out a shaky breath, averting his eyes from their gaze. Despite being fully clothed, he had never felt so exposed. He fixed his eyes onto a spot of the floor, and began to unbutton his shirt. As he did so, the scent of the alphas became even more overwhelming. He slipped the shirt off, the cold air forming goosebumps all over his chest and abdomen. He paused for a moment, until a growl from the alpha’s commended him to carry on. He placed the shirt down on the mattress, before unzipping his jeans.

 

Another low growl from the alphas made him freeze. What was he doing wrong? His hands clutched the waistband of his jeans, and he brought his eyes up to meet theirs.

 

Yuuri couldn’t explain how terrifying the sight was. The alphas had both moved closer, one of them holding the other back. Upon meeting German’s gaze, he saw the alpha’s pupils had grown inexplicably large, and full of lust.

 

“Carry on,” said Russian thickly. Yuuri stared at the floor once again, and pulled his jeans off.

 

He stood in his black boxers, arms wrapped around his torso. He could feel the flush creeping up his body. With Victor’s help, he had learned to embrace every curve – of which there were more now than there had ever been before. But, he silently prayed that the alpha’s found him as unappealing as he had once felt.

 

They didn’t.

 

German lunged forward, slipping from Russian’s grip. The large alpha pinned Yuuri to the ground, growling. Yuuri tried to fight him off with trembling hands, but it was no use. They struggled for a moment, until the weight suddenly lifted off him.

 

Yuuri was panting, and his eyes followed the movements of the large alpha, who had been tackled to the ground by Yuri, who was snarling as he punched and kicked and scratched the alpha below him. It didn’t take long for the omega to be overpowered, and thrown back against the mattress. The alphas approached them angrily.

 

“Stop!” cried Yuuri. “Please don’t hurt him, please!”

 

The alphas growled in response.

 

“Get up, both of you!” Russian snapped. He tossed Yuuri to the side and pulled Yuri closer to him, growling as he tore the jumper away from the omega’s body. He then wrenched the young omega to his feet, pulling at the remaining long strands of blonde hair. Yuuri panicked when German approached him once again, his eyes swirling with lust and anger. The omega scrambled to his feet, but the alpha tore at his black hair anyway.

 

The two omegas stood there, shivering from both the cold and from terror. The alphas were practically tearing their hair out, causing the smaller men to whimper in pain. Yuuri froze as he heard more footsteps, and saw that the beta had walked into the room, his hands full of rope and brown cloth.

 

The pain ripping through Yuuri’s head was released, so that a brown bag could be slipped over his head, preventing him from seeing what was going to happen next. He was spun around and his hands tied behind his back, before a tight grip on his upper arm pulled him out of the room.

 

He stumbled blindly, the sound of his and Yuri’s feet slapping off the cold concrete echoing in his ears. He felt the grip on his arm breaking the tiny vessels beneath his skin, sure to leave a bruise. They walked in silence, which gave Yuuri a moment to regulate his breathing. He couldn’t afford to have a panic attack in front of these monsters.

 

They came to an abrupt stop, Yuuri almost completely colliding with the alpha in front of him.

 

“Watch it, Omega!” He heard Russian bark at Yuri. Three loud bangs reverberated through Yuuri’s head, followed by a series of clicks and creaks.

 

The omegas were pulled forward once more. Yuuri let out a small sigh as they entered a warm room, but his relief was fleeting as he was pulled further in and heard the door clang shut behind him. He was very specifically positioned by the alpha, and then his arms were untied from behind him. He flexed his wrists, grateful for the release of the pressure. Again, it didn’t last long.

 

Yuri yelped next to him, and overcome with protectiveness for the younger omega, he lunged in his direction.

 

“Stop it! Let go of him!” Yuuri screamed, and he was soon pulled back again by strong hands at his wrists. “Yurio! Yurio what are they doing to you?”

 

Yuuri let out a cry as his arms were stretched high above his head. He felt the rough scratch of the rope as his wrists were secured to something cold, and his body practically hanging down in a Y-shape. Luckily, his feet could touch the floor, so once he sopped struggling and realised he could stand up, some of the pressure released from his arms. His breath was ragged, covering up the sounds of Yuri struggling next to him.

 

“Please, please let him go!” cried Yuuri. “Whatever you want from me, please leave him out of it!”

 

The commotion next to him stopped, and he could hear Yuri’s gasps for breath, and the scent of anger coming from the alphas.

 

“Leave him, lads,” came a voice, causing Yuuri’s eyes to fill with tears. The smell of peppermint overwhelmed everything else in the room, the commands to obey weaving themselves into Yuuri’s brain. His whole body trembled as the alpha’s presence filled the room, soft footsteps gaining in volume as he moved closer to the restrained omegas.

 

Yuuri let out a small squeak as a burning hot touch traced his collarbone, travelled down his chest and torso, snaking its way around his hips before settling on his ass. Yuuri held his breath as the hand travelled beneath his boxers to squeeze at his plump cheeks, gasping in relief when the hand was withdrawn.

 

He cringed away as he felt the alpha’s hot breath on his neck, disappearing as soon as it came. Yuuri remained tense as the alpha’s presence receded, but in the direction of the younger omega. He heard the blonde’s breath hitch, but nothing else. He stood shaking in the silence, his arms already aching.

 

“Well, you two,” purred Boss. “This is where the fun really begins,”

 

Light poured into Yuuri’ eyes as the cloth was removed from his head. His eyes had barely adjusted, but he turned around to see Yuri in the same position as him, with his arms restrained above his head.

 

Being so used to the fluorescent light of their tiny room, it didn’t take long for Yuuri’s vision to adjust completely to the soft light in this place. He didn’t have his glasses on, but he could see four figures in front of him, a small camera placed on a tall tripod in between them.

 

“Sort out their hair,” tutted Boss. “We can’t have people thinking that we aren’t looking after them,”

 

Beta made his way over to the omegas, but passed by behind them. Yuuri strained his neck to see what was happening, but he saw nothing. He flinched as a comb scratched across his scalp, slicking his hair back with cold water.

 

Of all the things they had done to him so far, this one pained his soul the most. To others, it would have felt like nothing, but to Yuuri it was an insult. Victor was the only one allowed to touch his hair. Victor, who would comb it back gently, caressing the black locks with his fingers. Some of the memories that Yuuri cherished the most were when they were still only coach and pupil, but he could feel Victor’s unspoken affection in his gentle touch.

 

When the beta was finally happy with his work, Yuuri felt like he could breathe again. He blinked back the tears and looked over to Yuri, who was staring blankly at the ground.

 

“The fuck am I supposed to do with this mess?” Growled Beta, gesturing at Yuri’s ruined hair.

 

“Improvise,” Boss replied curtly.

 

The beta sighed and moved towards the back of the room again, returning seconds later with a sharp knife. He took Yuri’s hair in chunks, slicing it away, blonde tresses floating down to the floor. When he was finished, Yuri looked like a different person. His feminine face was always so beautifully framed by his hair, but now he looked like a small boy. His fringe was gone, and his hair was only just an inch long all over his head. Yuuri had to blink back tears once again at the sight, the younger omega’s tears rolling down his cheeks and splashing onto the floor.

 

“Perfect,” said Boss, smiling. He walked towards the back of the room, and when he reappeared, his face was covered in a black balaclava.

 

“That won’t make any difference, dumbass,” spat Yuri. “We’ve both already seen your face,”

 

Yuuri’s eyes bulged as he watched Boss’s reaction. Yuri was still staring down at the ground. The alpha sighed slightly.

 

“Oh Yuri, and here I was thinking you wouldn’t give me any more trouble”

 

Yuri’s green eyes still glistened with tears as he looked up at the alpha. The silence permeated the room, the two men glaring at one another.

 

“Shall we begin?” Boss said, never leaving Yuri’s gaze. German fiddled with the camera for a moment, before nodding at the other alpha.

 

“Yuuri Katsuki and Yuri Plisetsky,” Boss began, breaking his eye contact with Yuri. “The world has been looking for them, and here they are!”

 

Yuuri looked up in confusion, and met with a similar emotion written across Yuri’s face.

 

“These beautiful omegas have kept us company for the weekend, but I think they want to go back home. In our kindness, we will grant them that wish… at a price.

 

“Victor Nikiforov, you will live to regret the day you took my true mate away from me. Your lover and your friend have not been harmed –“

 

“LIAR!” screamed Yuuri.

 

Boss tensed. He rolled his eyes dramatically, his head rolling backwards from one shoulder to another in emphasis. He locked eyes with Yuuri, stepping towards him so that he could grasp the omega’s chin and lift it up so they were face-to-face.

 

“Looks like your price just went up,” he whispered, and Yuuri could sense that there was a mad smile hidden beneath the mask.

 

Boss resumed his place in between the two omegas, addressing the camera once again.

 

“They are under the impression that they have been harmed! Whatever will they think once we really get started?”

 

Yuri paled, and the fear in his eyes made Yuuri lose his breath. He’d done it again, he’d endangered his friend. He knew then that if he were to keep Yuri safe, he really would have to submit.

 

“So, a fair price for these omegas…” Boss chuckled. “Both are beautiful, both are famous. One is even unbonded! Two million Euros each,”

 

Yuuri choked. An obscene amount of money. He and Victor were well off, but still didn’t even have half of that between them. Not to mention that there was Yuri to think about too.

 

“We don’t care how you find the money,” Boss continued “But the deadline is midnight on Friday. The first two million will set Yuri Plisetsky free. The sooner you raise the money, the sooner they are set free, and the less harm will come to them,”

 

“I’m not leaving him alone,” cried Yuri “I don’t care about your stupid rules, I’m not leaving him with you,”

 

“Ah, there seems to be a misunderstanding,” said Boss, rubbing his chin in thought. “If two million is raised, you will still only be freed after the deadline. If there is not enough money before the deadline, we will never set you free,”

 

Yuuri nearly passed out at the thought. His heart ached. Two million Euros… perhaps doable, if the world was looking for them just like Boss had said. But four million? He sent out silent apologies once again to Victor. He knew that chances of seeing him again were negligible.

 

“We hope that is clear. Twelve PM, this Friday. After that, the omegas are ours forever,”

 

The camera was stopped. Boss pulled off his balaclava and moved to stand in front of Yuri, pulling his tear-soaked face up to look him in the eye.

 

“Don’t worry, little omega,” he cooed. “What happens to you now depends entirely on Yuuri’s actions,”

 

Boss pulled his hand back, letting Yuri’s head fall to his chest. He made his way over to Yuuri, who looked him in the eye defiantly.

 

“My Yuuri,” the alpha whispered “Victor Nikiforov will see you soon. But for now, you are mine,”

 

Yuuri glared back at the alpha for minutes on end, before he finally turned to leave the room, the heavy metal door slamming shut behind him.

 

“Yuuri?” came the small voice from beside him. He turned to Yuri’s face, pale and streaked with tears, his eyes bulging with fear.

 

“It’ll be ok. We’ll get out of here,” Yuri continued “I won’t leave without you,”

 

Yuuri found himself sobbing once again, fresh tears running down his face, his cries echoing throughout the room. A growl cut through his sobs. He turned to see two alphas and the beta stood between him and Yuri.

 

“Have fun,” one of the alpha’s said to the beta, before he and the other alpha also left the room.

 

The beta turned to Yuuri, who could see that he held a thick cane in one hand, and a long skinny whip in the other.

 

“Which one?” he grunted. Yuuri was still sniffling and couldn’t form words. “One for you, one for him,”

 

Yuuri was breathing heavily and erratically. He could hear Yuri yelling at him, but he couldn’t think about anything except the alpha in front of him. His eyes flicked from one hand to the next, before locking once again with those of the beta.

 

“Whichever one hurts the most.”


	9. Ransom

The worst night of Victor’s life slowly crept into the next morning. He and Otabek had spent hours going through the heart-wrenching process of putting together a missing person’s report. Otto and Helena were sympathetic, but efficient, making the situation much easier for the two alphas. A mutual decision came about; that Otto and Helena as their representatives would make a brief statement to the German media regarding the disappearance of Yuuri and Yuri. Only once their families had arrived, were Victor and Otabek comfortable with making their own official statements.

 

“Okay, I think we are ready to send this off to our superiors for one last check over,” Helena explained, frantically tapping at her keyboard. “Hopefully, this will be the statement we will give to the press this morning, in time for the morning news,”

 

Reports were already beginning to swirl about online, much to Victor’s chagrin. He wanted to quell any rumours as soon as possible, but felt it important to get the statement right first. On the other hand, Otabek was eager to speak to the press within minutes of Otto and Helena’s arrival. With their persuasion, he also decided that waiting was the best course of action.

 

It would take several hours for the various members of Yuuri and Yuri’s families to arrive in Berlin. The flight from Japan alone would take about 10 hours. Yakov and Yuri’s Grandfather were much closer, but the general consensus was that their statements would have to wait until the following day to be released.

 

The process was frustratingly long. They went through their initial statements to the police several more times, they had to pick out the most appropriate photos of Yuuri and Yuri to send to the press, not to mention drafting several speeches to be made to the public. Victor sighed and ran his fingers through his thinning hair, blinking his dry eyes at the words in front of him for the thousandth time that night. Otabek looked as though he would pass out from exhaustion at any moment – the past day had been so emotionally taxing for the both of them.

 

“We have been given the go-ahead on these statements,” said Otto, having just returned from a phonecall. “If you two are happy, we will now go to give this statement to a local news station?”

 

Otabek nodded at him, his eyes glazed over slightly. Victor agreed and thanked them, before the two betas headed out of the door.

 

“I don’t suppose there is much we can do now until everyone else arrives,” mumbled Otabek. “We might as well get some rest,”

 

The Kazakh alpha got up from his seat on the bed, stretching his arms above his head before shuffling his way to the door.

 

“Wait!” croaked Victor. “I… I don’t think I can stay… on my own…” He cast his eyes down in embarrassment. “Please, will you stay with me?”

 

He was met with Otabek’s usual unreadable expression. The younger man sighed slightly, and put his hand on Victor’s shoulder.

 

“Okay. I’m kind of glad that you asked,” he said quietly. “I don’t think I can be alone either,”

 

Victor tugged the corners of his lips into a smile. “Thank you,” he whispered.

 

“But, I feel really gross and uncomfortable right now. Do you mind if I quickly go to my room to shower and change?” Otabek asked, a slightly guilty look forming across his face.

 

“Of course not,” Victor replied, although he was concerned about being completely alone even for the smallest length of time. “Leave the door on the latch and come back in whenever you’re done,”

 

Otabek smiled slightly, giving Victor’s shoulder a gentle squeeze, before turning once again to leave.

 

As the door softly closed, Victor slumped back onto his pillows. He hadn’t noticed how stiff his legs had gotten from sitting cross-legged on the bed for so long, so he stretched them out as far as they could go, sighing as he felt the pull on his tense muscles. He relaxed, letting his whole weight sink into the mattress, pulling the thick covers over himself and snuggling into them. He folded the edge of the duvet to form a thick lump, hugging it tight and trying to convince himself that it was Yuuri. Of course, his subconscious was not so easily fooled – the blanket smelled generically clean, nothing like Yuuri’s chamomile and honey. The omega had such a delicate scent, but that made it no less intoxicating to Victor, who whined slightly at the memory of it. Yuuri had been using scent blocking products for such a long time now, that there were only very few occasions where Victor had been able to enjoy it in all of its unbridled glory. Luckily for him, no scent blocking product was perfect, and every so often the sweet smell would waft past him, making him fall in love all over again.

 

He cried softly into the duvet, pulling the pillows down to encircle himself in warmth. But it wasn’t enough. He sniffled as he crawled out of bed and headed over to the drawers, scooping up all of Yuuri’s belongings and piling them onto the mound of bedsheets. He clambered back onto the bed, covering himself in the duvet once again, pulling at all of Yuuri’s clothes to unfold them and tucking them into various places in amongst the pillows. He clutched one of Yuuri’s jumpers, the soft woollen fabric absorbing his silent tears.

 

Still, nothing smelled of him. Victor sobbed in his improvised nest, curling his knees up to his chest and hugging them there. What was the point in a nest when he didn’t have his omega? He prayed that he would find Yuuri soon, prayed that he was safe somewhere and that this was all a big overreaction. Victor quietened, trying to convince himself that he was just being overdramatic as always. It worked for a moment, until he realised  that the embodiment of stoic, Otabek Altin, had also reacted in the same way. Victor pressed his palms against his eyes, he face slippery from the tears. He knew he couldn’t handle being left alone.

 

Once the flow of tears had stopped, he dragged himself up to emerge from the covers. He hadn’t checked his phone at all since he’d sent that message to their friends, the shame of having to tell them over a message still very raw. The bright screen made him squint heavily, and he let his eyes adjust to the light.

 

Texts. Messages. Emails. Tweets. Missed calls. Victor had never felt so overwhelmed, and he had to fight the tears back once again. He scrolled through to find the most important message first, taking a very deep breath before opening it.

 

**Chris: Victor, Otabek, I’m so sorry to hear this. Don’t apologise at all for messaging us, I completely understand. Sending all of my love and prayers, I’m here for whatever you should need <3 **

**Phichit: Oh my gosh, that’s awful! I’m so sorry! If there is anything I can do please let me know??**

**JJ: Oh dude this is heart breaking. I really hope that they are both okay. How are you holding up?**

**Seung Gil: I am so deeply sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with you and Otabek at this difficult time.**

**Minami: I was really hoping that this was a wind-up, but I’ve just seen it on the news. I’m so incredibly sorry guys, fingers crossed that they are both alright <3**

**Mila: Yakov told us this morning Vic, we’re all sending our prayers that Yura and Yuuri are safe <3**

**Yuko: Thank you for telling us, I can’t even imagine what you are going through right now. Takeshi is on his way to the airport with Yuuri’s family now. Sending out all our love <3 **

**Guang Hong: This is terrible news, I am so sorry. Here’s hoping that it is all okay soon. Keep us updated, and if there is anything at all we can do just let us know.**

**Phichit: The skating world is behind you Victor! We will find Yuuri and Yurio soon I pray <3 **

**JJ: Is there anyone else you would like us to add to this message Victor? Or tell anyone else? I totally understand if you don’t want anyone else knowing right now**

It took Victor an eternity to read through the conversation, overcome with emotion upon reading each message. Tears flowed down his face once again, and he cuddled into his nest to cry it out. Eventually, he felt calm enough to formulate a response.

 

**Victor: Thank you all so much for your love, it means a great deal to me and I’m sure the same can be said for Otabek.**

**JJ, thank you kindly for the offer. If you feel that anyone else in our community should know then please inform them, but at present we are trying not to feed fire to any rumours. An official statement is to be made very soon by the German police. Once the families of Yuuri and Yurio are here with us in Berlin, Otabek and I will be making our own statements. This is likely to be on Sunday morning.**

**For now, should the press reach out to anyone in our community for comment, kindly refer them on to the statement that will shortly be made by the German police.**

**< 3**

He sighed as he pressed send, burying his face in the pillows once again. He pushed his phone away, deciding that he would deal with the remaining notifications later. He rose his head when a gentle tap came from the door.

 

“Hello?” he mumbled.

 

“Victor, it’s Otabek,” came the reply. “May I come in?”

 

“Of course, of course,” Victor replied, sinking back down into the bedding. Normally he might be embarrassed for another alpha to see his nest, but at this point he really didn’t care. He felt the bed sink down slightly under Otabek’s weight.

 

“I don’t even know if I can… but do you mind if I sleep here?” the younger man asked sheepishly. “I can stay up if you want proper company though,”

 

Victor rolled his head over so that he could look at Otabek, who looked as though he was about to crash any second. “Of course. I might fall asleep as well to be honest,” he lied.

Otabek smiled slightly, settling down onto the bed, being careful to not disrupt Victor’s nest.

 

“I told them only to disturb us if it’s urgent, or when Yakov and Yuri’s Grandpa arrive,” Otabek mumbled sleepily, his eyes already closed.

 

“Okay,” whispered Victor in reply. He hugged Yuuri’s jumper even closer, willing the sleep to take over.

 

The following hours were very restless for Victor. Whilst Otabek slept heavily beside him, he tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable, unable to stop his mind from whirring. His dry eyes were screaming at him to sleep, but his brain just wouldn’t shut down. Several times he got up for water, and each time he returned to the bed he thought that he could feel the sleep taking over, but each time it was a lie.

 

He glanced over at the clock to see that it was 8am. He had no idea when Yakov had flown out, but he should be arriving soon. He opened his phone to see if he had any messages from his old friend, but he couldn’t find any. Instead, he decided to go through his notifications one by one.

 

Some more messages had popped up on the group chat since he last posted, more words of love and support from his friends. At times like these he struggled to remember what his life was like when he’d felt so lonely. Most other messages were from acquaintances, so they could be ignored for now. His twitter was full of mentions, mostly from fans sending links to dodgy news articles, demanding answers. He had several missed calls from various people, but he didn’t have the energy to phone them back or to message them.

 

A wide yawn crept up on him, making him slightly lightheaded, his eyelids feeling heavy. He continued to scroll through his notifications through half-closed eyes, clearing his home page of the noise.

 

*****

 

“Victor! Victor!” He was being shaken awake. “Yakov just phoned, they are on their way to the hotel,”

 

Victor sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Wha…” he began, his sentence cut off mid yawn. “What time is it?”

 

“It’s 10.30,” replied Otabek gently “They will be here in about 10 minutes,”

 

“Okay,” Victor mumbled. “I’ll tidy up in here,”

 

He busied himself with clearing away his mess of a nest, most items of clothing having become strewn on the floor at some point during his sleep. As he smoothed the bedsheets out, Otabek went to open the windows, the crisp winter air waking them both up instantly.

 

A knock at the door went almost unnoticed by Victor, who was methodically folding Yuuri’s clothing back into the drawer. He’d spent so long ironing them, he was going to be so annoyed that Victor had crumpled them all up again.

 

“Vitya…” he heard from the far side of the room. He turned to see Yakov at the door, his arms outstretched.

 

Victor ran up to his old coach, melting into his hug. He clutched him tightly, revelling in the first real comfort he had felt since the previous night. Yakov stroked the alpha’s back soothingly, it was almost enough to send him back off to sleep. They parted eventually, Victor still reeling from that fleeting happiness.

 

“Vitya… you haven’t eaten,” mumbled Yakov. “I’ll go and get us some food okay?”

 

Victor nodded sheepishly. It was a terrible habit of his that dated back to his teenage years – forgetting to eat. Yakov kept him in strict check whilst he was under his care, and knew all the subtle signs of Victor struggling.

 

“I came straight here, Vitya, I needed to know if you were alright,” the beta explained gently, looking the alpha in the eye. “Are you?”

 

“Y-Yes. I mean, no. I mean… I’m holding up. I think,” Victor stammered.

 

Yakov patted his shoulder in a gesture of sympathy. “Go and lie down, Vitya. I’m going to check into my hotel and then bring some food back,”

 

Victor gave a small smile as he watched Yakov turn to exit the room again, revealing a tall elderly gentleman talking quietly to Otabek.

 

“Nikolai!” he gasped. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise you were here too,”

 

Yuri’s grandfather smiled, walking over to Victor and enveloping him in a hug. Victor was momentarily shocked before returning the gesture.

 

“It’s ok Victor,” the older man said. “This is a hard time for us all,”

 

Nikolai stayed in the room for a small while as Otabek filled him in on what had happened since they last spoke. Victor sat on the bed, listening intently. It all seemed like some ridiculously far-fetched story, but his heart ached as though to dismiss such a thought.

 

Eventually Yakov returned with some food and hot drinks for everyone. They sat in companionable silence, sipping away at their coffees. Normally Victor would babble on in order to stop his overthinking brain from sending him into a spiral, but the calm atmosphere generated by having the two older men there had left his mind blissfully blank.

 

Otabek began pacing the room anxiously after he had finished his breakfast, chewing at his thumb slightly. Victor was normally someone who could never stay still, but the hollowness had taken over and he felt planted on the bed, his mind tricking him into thinking that it was a safe place.

 

“Are those news crews?” Otabek interjected, staring down and out of the window. Yakov frowned and sighed in response.

 

“Yes. I didn’t want to tell you both,” he said hesitantly. “But since the first official statement, the news has blown up, as you might imagine. Somehow the news crews all know that you two are staying at this hotel, despite the police’s best efforts to conceal your location. I was hounded by the press as I came in and out earlier,” he huffed, rubbing his temples. “Unfortunately this has probably confirmed that this is indeed the hotel that you are staying at,”

 

Otabek stood with his back to the room. Victor tensed as the younger alpha’s scent spiked, filling the room with anger.

 

“Tch… bastards,” he said through gritted teeth, pulling the curtains together. “They aren’t interested in their safety. It’s just another juicy story for them,”

 

The three older men remained silent, waiting to see what Otabek would say next. Victor was closest, and could see the young man’s shoulders shaking slightly. He glanced at Yakov, silently urging him to take Nikolai and leave the room. An alpha in a rage was a dangerous thing, he didn’t want the other men to get hurt should Otabek lose control. But Yakov shook his head, his mouth pressed in a firm line. Victor tuned slowly to face Otabek again, whose fists were balled up in the fabric curtains, his whole body now shaking vigorously.

 

“Beka?” whispered Victor. The younger man sank to his knees and began to audibly sob, clutching at his hair in desperation. Victor leapt off the bed towards his friend, wrapping his long arms around him in a tight hug. “Shhhh, it’s ok,” he murmured, slowly rocking their bodies back and forth.

 

“They don’t care, Vitya,” came the broken reply. “They don’t care at all. I just want him back, I just want them safe,”

 

Victor continued to cradle the other alpha, soothing him until his cries began to die down. Yakov and Nikolai helped him to encourage Otabek into bed, where he lay on his back and covered his face with his hands.

 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “That was selfish of me,”

 

The other three men leapt in at once with their reassurances, gently talking him down from his peak of anxiety.

 

“We’ll get them home, Beka,” said Yakov softly. “You’re probably right, the media likely don’t care. But we’re going to milk the coverage for all it’s worth, increase our chances of finding them as much as we possibly can,”

 

Otabek wiped his face clean of tears, his eyes practically glowing red from all the crying. He let out a shaky breath. “Thank you… I… I think I need to rest…”

 

“Of course,” Victor murmured, stroking the alpha’s short black hair. “You can stay here if you like,”

 

Otabek just nodded in reply, his eyes closing slowly, his breaths becoming slower and deeper until it looked as though he had already fallen asleep.

 

“We’ll leave you to get some rest as well, Vitya,” said Yakov. “We will let you know when your family arrives,”

 

Victor thanked the two older men whilst he walked them to the door. He clicked the locks into place, and then went to collapse on the bed next to Otabek.

 

*****

 

The Katsuki family arrived that evening. Victor had been drifting in and out of sleep, checking his phone periodically. In amongst the messages was one from Mari, to say that they had arrived and were heading to their hotel. Victor rubbed the sleep from his eyes, groggily tapping at his screen to phone her.

 

“Hi Vicchan, we’re just in the taxi to our hotel now,” came an equally exhausted voice. “It’s a couple of streets away from yours I believe so we will be over in the next half an hour,”

 

Victor peeked out of the window to see the front of the hotel swarmed with media. “I’m going to speak to the hotel manager to see if there is another way in,” he explained. “There’s too much going on at the front of the hotel,”

 

“Okay,” she replied, her voice thick with worry. “Let us know,”

 

Victor hung up and slipped his phone into the pocket of his sweatpants. He looked over at Otabek, who had stirred slightly from his sleep.

 

“My family are here,” he said as Otabek sat up and yawned. “I’m going to find out if they can enter the hotel without being seen by the press,”

 

Otabek nodded sleepily in reply, stretching his limbs.

 

Victor wandered down the hotel corridors to find any staff member who could find him the manager. It would be easier to go down to the lobby to find him, but the large glass front of the hotel would put him in full view of the media’s cameras. He eventually found a cleaning lady, who kindly went and fetched the manager whilst he waited in a more secluded area of the hotel.

 

Luckily, the manager explained that there was a back entrance to the hotel. It was only really used by cleaning staff as it was the location of all the waste bins. Victor texted Mari the directions, and followed the manager down so that he could see his family as soon as they arrived.

 

Standing at the back door with his leg bouncing anxiously nearly caused Victor to collapse into another bout of sobs. The cold air made his mind wander to his winters spent in Russia, trudging through the snow to an equally cold skating rink. The memories were laced with loneliness, and he struggled to snap himself out of it.

 

 _I’m not like that anymore._ He told himself. _I’m part of a wonderful family, my friends mean the world to me. It all changed when Yuuri came into my life._

But Yuuri was gone. He clenched his fists, praying once again that his existence would not revert back to being so painfully lonely.

 

“Vicchan?” came the small voice of his Mama. Upon meeting her puffy eyes, he collapsed onto her, burying his head into the crook of her neck. She held him tightly, as though she was never going to let go.

 

Once they had all exchanged hugs and a handful of words, they made their way up to Victor’s room, the manager having disappeared to give the family privacy. There, they found Otabek sat on the edge of the bed flanked by Yakov and Nikolai, and opposite them sat Helena and Otto.

 

The Katsuki family were ushered in and found seats. They exchanged sympathies with the men on the bed, Mari embracing Otabek silently.

 

“So,” began Helena. “Firstly, we offer our condolences for you all in this difficult time. We are here for support and advice in this situation, and should you ever feel the need to talk to us, one of us will be available at all times of the day or night,”

 

Everyone nodded. Victor held his Mama tight as she began to sniffle.

 

“We also want to offer our apologies for the large media presence just now,” said Otto. “Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can really do about that. We have made no comment to anyone outside of our official statement this morning, and will continue to act as such until we have your express permission,”

 

“We have received several ‘tips’ from people who were present at the markets on Friday night,” Helena continued. “Of course, we already interviewed key witnesses, so this is all new information,”

 

Victor’s ears pricked at this. He was desperate for anything that could help.

 

“A few fans who had met with Yuuri and Yuri have sent us in pictures of them, with timestamps. Unfortunately, these were all before the time that the two men were last seen

 

“We did get a suggestion from one fan, and if you are willing then it may help in the investigation,”

 

Victor practically jumped towards the police officers. “Anything,” he said.

 

The two betas exchanged glances before continuing. “It could be a long shot,” Helena said, taking Victor’s hand in her own. “But I want you all to realise that we are taking every clue as seriously as possible,”

 

“Victor, Otabek,” said Otto gently. “Do you and your partners have Snapchat?”

 

Victor stared at him. “Y-Yes… we all do,”

 

“Do any of you take advantage of the feature called Snapmaps?” he continued hesitantly.

 

Victor’s face fell. He and Yuuri both turned that feature off as soon as it came out. As far as he was aware, so had Yuri, as he was never visible to Victor.

 

“Myself and Yuri… we are visible on the map to one another,” Otabek whispered, his eyes bright. He scrambled around the room to find his phone, the eyes of everyone else following him with baited breath.

 

When he finally found it, he took a deep shaky breath, and opened up the app. He stared for a moment at the screen, his mouth slightly open, before handing the phone wordlessly to Helena. She squinted at the screen, zooming in and out, before passing the phone on to her colleague.

 

“Thank you, Otabek,” she said as Otto began to frantically type away on his own phone. “We think that is going to be very helpful,”

 

Victor resumed his seat next to his Mama, her hand squeezing his. “Does… have you… will you be able to find them?” came his choked whisper.

 

“It is certainly a lead that we intend to follow,” Otto said, not looking up from his phone.

 

“Will one of you explain what it is you’ve found?” barked Yakov, making most other people in the room jump.

 

Helena looked at him with her eyes slightly wide. “Yes… apologies Mr Feltsman,” she began, her frame relaxing slightly. “This map shows when the person was last active on this particular application. In this case, it shows that Yuri Plisetsky was last active approximately 20 miles west of the markets,”

 

The room vibrated with excited silence, but the two betas were struggling to hide the worry writing itself across their faces. Otto put his phone down and handed Otabek’s back to him.

 

“Our colleagues have now been informed of this lead and will be investigating it promptly,” he explained. “For now though, our focus is on preparing the statements,”

 

Everyone was more invigorated since the revelation, making the work easier. Throughout the night, Otto or Helena would disappear for a short while, before reappearing with food and drink. They all worked into the small hours of the morning, until eventually everyone was happy with the statement. After that, everyone retreated to their respective hotel rooms. Otabek passed out once again on the bed, so Victor saw Helena and Otto out of the door. He set his alarm in plenty of time for their meeting with the press the next morning, settling down onto the bed. He was so exhausted that he slept right through until the alarm rang.

 

*****

 

Cameras snapped and flashed from every angle as Victor took his seat. He, Otabek, Nikolai, Yakov and Yuuri’s family were seated at a table set in front of navy backdrop with the emblem of the German police in a recurring pattern. Victor held his Mama’s hand under the table, his heart threatening to beat right out of his ribcage.

 

 _A discreet audience of reliable news sources._ He recalled what Helena had told him. _Looks to me like every media vulture from all over the world is here._

He cast his eyes around at the attendees of the press conference as Otto and Helena stood in front of the table to address the press first. All of the faces blurred into one, and all Victor could see was hungry eyes. He took a large gulp of water and gave his Mama’s hand another squeeze. He hadn’t noticed the police officers leave to seat themselves near the table, leaving the room in an uneasy quiet.

 

The world was waiting to see what Victor would say.

 

He started off formally – thanking the press for coming, explaining the events of that night to an enraptured audience. It was mechanical, easy, something he had been doing at press conferences for the majority of his life. He and Otabek took calculated pauses set up by Helena and Otto, giving them both a chance to speak without becoming too overwhelmed. Yuuri’s mother had a few things to say at one point, as did Yuri’s Grandfather. All too soon, the easy part was over.

 

Victor gulped his remaining water down his dry throat. His breath became shaky as he realised that he had reached the part of their script where it became more personal.

 

“Please, if you have any information, please come forward,” he said, casting his eyes down so as not to see the faces swimming in front of him. “We miss them very much…”

 

His words were cut off as he felt tears pricking the backs of his eyes.

 

“We are grateful for the support of all of our fans,” continued Otabek, stepping in to allow Victor a moment to compose himself. “It means the world to us. We all pray that Yuri and Yuuri turn up safely,”

 

“We ask for privacy in this difficult time,” said Nikolai. “This has shaken us all, and following this press conference, we would greatly appreciate a decrease in the presence of the media,”

 

The audience mumbled at the older man’s words. Panicked glances were exchanged between cameramen and reporters – the conference was going out live, and now they would face backlash from the public if they continued to act the way they had all weekend. Victor smiled inwardly at the response it evoked, grateful to Nikolai for going off-script.

 

“Yuuri,” he said, looking directly into one of the cameras. “My love. I won’t give up until you are safe in my arms once again,”

 

The audience was silent, all the cameras trained onto the alpha’s face.

 

“We love you both, please come back to us. Please be safe, wherever you are. Please give us a sign,”

 

*****

 

The rest of the day went by very slowly. They had been ushered out of the conference quickly, cameras flashing once again, reporters shouting questions. Victor went back to his room alone, for he needed time away from other voices. He lay on the bed staring at the ceiling for a long time, replaying the morning’s events over and over in his head.

 

By mid-afternoon, Yakov had knocked on his door to bring him some food. He enjoyed the company, but wasn’t distressed when the older man left once again. Victor eventually invited his family over.

 

The evening passed by with no more news from Otto and Helena. Otabek joined Victor and his family at one point, embracing the companionable silence in the room. Victor could sense how drained the other alpha was, and invited him to sleep in his room again, to which Otabek agreed.

 

Yakov brought everyone dinner to the room that night as well, and everyone sat eating as they watched the coverage on the news, having managed to find an English-speaking news channel on the hotel’s television. Parts of the press conference were replayed often, and to no great surprise, Nikolai’s jab to the media had been edited out. But it seemed to have done the trick, as there were far less people stood outside of the hotel now than there was the previous night.

 

Before long everyone retreated to their respective rooms. Otabek and Victor settled down to sleep, but Victor knew he wouldn’t be getting much. He passed the time by replying to his messages and scrolling through twitter, until the feeling of loneliness became too crushing. He ambled over to his bag to find his headphones, plugging himself in and losing himself in music.

 

Victor was woken the next morning by a very frantic black-haired alpha. Otabek was shaking him awake, his mouth running ten to the dozen in an incoherent mixture of Russian, English and his native Kazakh. Panic and excitement rippled through the older alpha – what was causing such a reaction?

 

It was then that he saw Otto at the door, stress written plainly across his slightly sweaty face. He could hear Helena shouting in German from the corridor.

 

“What’s going on?” he said, his voice trembling. He scrambled out of the bed as the Katsuki family walked in, their faces all streaked with tears. “What’s happened?”

 

“Oh, Vicchan!” cried Hiroko. He scrambled off the bed to embrace her, and she began to sob into his chest. Victor looked up at Mari, whose tears were streaming silently down her pale face.

 

“Please, everyone, have a seat,” Otto suggested, his voice tense but gentle. “There has been an important development,”

 

Victor sat on the edge of the bed, his arms still wrapped tightly around his Mama. Helena walked into the room followed by Yakov and Nikolai, who were both wearing very confused expressions. They found seats in the room as Helena closed the door and then sat next to her colleague.

 

“Before I begin, I need to reassure you all that this development is under the most intense investigation I have seen in my time as a police officer,” she began, looking everyone in the eyes in turn. “And the most important fact that you all need to know is that Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov and Yuri Plisetsky are both alive,”

 

Hiroko choked out a sob of relief; Mari gasped and her hands flew over her mouth; Nikolai sighed and hung his head, muttering what sounded like his thanks to his God; Victor and Otabek tensed.

 

The police officers gave the room time for the news to sink in before continuing.

 

“About an hour ago, several newly-created YouTube channels uploaded identical videos simultaneously. They have since been removed from the site, but the police have retained a copy for investigation and several copies are appearing on other sites,”

 

Victor stared at her, thousands of questions whizzing through his mind.

 

“The nature of the video is… delicate,” Otto explained. “We do not recommend that any of you watch it,”

 

“Please,” Victor whispered. “What is it?”

 

Otto and Helena exchanged glances, before Helena cleared her throat.

 

“In this footage, Yuri and Yuuri are seen restrained and in a state of… undress,” she said tentatively. “There is a man whose face is obscured, who is demanding a ransom of four million Euros by midnight on Friday, after which he will release the two men,”

 

Everyone in the room was shocked into silence. Victor shook his head slightly, unable to believe what he was hearing.

 

“This… this can’t be real?” whispered Mari. “How can you be sure this isn’t a hoax?”

 

“Unfortunately, we have no reason to believe that the video is a fake,” explained Helena softly. “The police are investigating the video, the accounts it was posted on, everything. We are doing anything in our power to find the source of this video and bring Yuuri and Yuri back home,”

 

“And…” Otabek gulped. “What if you can’t find them?”

 

Helena laced her fingers together tightly, letting her anxiety become apparent. “Then, we will have to find a way to pay the ransom,”

 

“This is ridiculous,” spat Nikolai. “We can’t find that kind of money! Surely we can focus our efforts on finding them instead?”

 

Otto shuffled in his seat slightly, and looked Nikolai in the eyes. “The efforts to find the location of Yuri and Yuuri will not be dampened by the efforts to find a ransom fee. We are doing everything in our power to find them as soon as possible,”

 

The room exploded with questions. Victor shrank back in on himself, blocking out the noise.

 

_I need to see it. I need to see Yuuri._

He rose silently, the conversation in the room dying down as he made his way over to his bag, pulling out his laptop.

 

“Mr Kats-,” Otto began, standing up. Victor growled in response, shocking the room into silence once again. He stood with his back to everyone, clutching his laptop in his hands.

 

“If you don’t want to see it, I recommend you leave now,” he snarled.

 

The tension in the room was unbearable as he set his laptop down on the desk and turned the power on.

 

“Victor, please,” came Yakov’s hushed voice. “I don’t think that’s for the best…”

 

“Then leave!” screamed Victor. “I don’t care what any of you think is best, I need to see it! I need to see Yuuri!”

 

Otabek was beside him then, his hand pressed firmly on Victor’s shoulder. The older alpha snapped his teeth in his direction, growling.

 

“I agree… with Victor,” the Kazakh said sternly.

 

There was a moment of shocked silence gripping the room once again, until Nikolai cut through the silence.

 

“As do I,” he whispered.

 

“And me,” said Mari, walking over to the desk and placing her hand over Victor’s. “I need to see my brother,”

 

Soon, everyone in the room was craning over Victor’s frame to look at the laptop screen. Otto and Helena remained in their seats, whispering at each other in panicked German.

 

It didn’t take long for Victor to find a source. It was everywhere. He clenched his jaw and opened up the video.

 

He gasped quietly as his eyes registered the picture in front of him. The two omegas were hanging down from their wrists, their faces pale and sweaty. Yuri was almost unrecognisable, his hair having been cut short. The grip on his shoulder intensified.

 

_“Yuuri Katsuki and Yuri Plisetsky. The world has been looking for them, and here they are! These beautiful omegas have kept us company for the weekend, but I think they want to go back home. In our kindness, we will grant them that wish… at a price. Victor Nikiforov, you will live to regret the day you took my true mate away from me. Your lover and your friend have not been harmed –,”_

_“LIAR!”_

_…_

_“Looks like your price just went up… They are under the impression that they have been harmed! Whatever will they think once we really get started?”_

Victor was shaking with rage and fear, his shoulder had gone numb now with Otabek’s grip.

 

_“So, a fair price for these omegas… Both are beautiful, both are famous. One is even unbonded! Two million Euros each. We don’t care how you find the money, but the deadline is midnight on Friday. The first two million will set Yuri Plisetsky free. The sooner you raise the money, the sooner they are set free, and the less harm will come to them.”_

_“I’m not leaving him alone! I don’t care about your stupid rules, I’m not leaving him with you!”_

_“Ah, there seems to be a misunderstanding. If two million is raised, you will still only be freed after the deadline. If there is not enough money before the deadline, we will never set you free_

_“We hope that is clear. Twelve PM, this Friday. After that, the omegas are ours forever,”_

The video stopped. Victor’s blood was boiling, his breath had become ragged and erratic. There was a huge commotion around him, the noise driving him insane. He let out an enormous growl, his eyes still locked on the computer screen. He heard voices behind him begging him to calm down, he heard the door opening and closing as several people left. He snarled as Otabek spun him round, shaking him vigorously and screaming at him to stop.

 

But he couldn’t. After seeing his omega treated in such a way, his alpha had now taken complete control. He threw Otabek to the ground, but the other alpha bounced back up and tried to pin Victor’s arms behind him. The younger alpha was strong, but not strong enough to face an enraged alpha alone. Victor faintly heard him yell at everyone else to leave, before he ripped himself free of the other man’s grip and floored him once again.

 

He had Otabek pinned to the ground, snarling in his face. He wasn’t met with panic in the other alpha’s eyes though – all he could see was sympathy behind the tears. Victor took control again briefly, releasing Otabek from beneath him. The younger man shot out of the room, the door slamming behind him and leaving Victor on his own.

 

Victor’s alpha took control once again, beginning to trash the empty room. He ripped the hotel room apart in his rage; his laptop became a pile of shattered machinery on the desk; his knuckles bled from punching a mirror; the wall was peppered with holes where his fists had met the plaster.

 

He continued in his frenzy undisturbed, until there was nothing left to break. He scooped up the pieces of bedding from the floor, piling them into one corner. The only thing he hadn’t trashed was the drawer with Yuuri’s belongings, which he pulled from the drawer once again. Still growling, he stalked over to the pile of bedding in the corner, stamping down the centre and curling up in it. His growls became whines as he layered Yuuri’s clothes over his body and buried himself deeper into the mess.

 

He curled in on himself, his whines dying down. Tears soaked his face, his neck, the front of his shirt. His body ached and his head pounded as he sobbed once again into his useless nest, until he passed out from exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, longest chapter yet! 
> 
> Thank you to my beta PunkFlame <3


	10. Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> Sexual abuse, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse. 
> 
> (If anyone thinks I need to be more specific / add any more triggers then please do let me know! <3

Angry red welts covered Yuuri’s body, causing his skin to burn and sting. He had taken the long whip, which the beta had deemed the most painful; leaving Yuri with the thicker cane. The blonde’s body was bright red all over, but with no raised stripes like Yuuri’s. The cane did look painful, and if Yuri’s screams were any indication, it was. Yuuri imagined that in a while, the younger man’s body would be littered with bruises.

 

Yuuri hung heavy from his restraints, the chafing of the rope at his wrists paling in comparison to the pain across the rest of his body. He tugged at them feebly, to no avail. With each movement he flinched, the pain radiating over his skin in sharp waves.

 

Neither omega had said a word since the beta had left, both were exhausted having been pushed to their limits. Yuuri suppressed the tears as he recalled the beta’s manic laughter after landing every blow. It seemed that the louder they screamed, the harder he would hit.

 

He let his eyes drift over to Yuri’s delicate frame suspended from the post, and found the younger omega staring right back at him.

 

“Yuuri?” the blonde whispered. “Can you hear me?”

 

_What a strange question._

“Yes… of course I can hear you…” Yuuri mumbled in reply.

 

“Okay…” said Yuri, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. “I’ve been trying to talk to you since he left but… you just kept staring at the floor…”

 

“Oh,” replied Yuuri blankly. “S-Sorry… I must have… I’m sorry,”

 

“Why did you do that for me, Yuuri?” the younger omega asked quietly.

 

Yuuri stared right back at him, his eyes glazed over with confusion.

 

_Isn’t it obvious?_

Before he could form a reply, the door swung open and the two alphas strode in. Yuuri frantically tugged at his restraints once again, biting his tongue so as not to shout in pain. As the other men neared, he lashed out with his feet, the weight of his whole body pulling down on his arms, and it felt like his shoulders were going to pop right out of their sockets; but he didn’t care. He just wanted to hurt them in some way, get them away from him, to keep them away from Yuri.

 

The alphas silently moved around them, walking out of view to the back of the room. Yuuri stilled, straining his ears to hear what was going on behind him.

 

A hand flashed out in front of him, pressing against his forehead so that his head was tipped up towards the ceiling. Suddenly his mouth was stuffed full of plastic, and water rushed down his throat. His reflexes kicked in and he began to gulp the water down before he could choke on it, but it ran too fast out of the bottle. Plenty escaped from the rim and began to flow down his neck, stinging the raw marks on his chest. When the bottle was finally pulled away, he was gasping both for air and from the pain.

 

Looking over at Yuri, he saw that he was getting the same treatment, his body shining with wetness from all the spilled water.

 

Then, as quickly as they had arrived, the alphas disappeared again. Both omegas were still spluttering, and both were trembling from the encounter. Yuuri was thankful that they didn’t stay long.

 

“Do you think…” Yuri coughed. “That they have… sent out that video…”

 

Yuuri’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of Victor seeing them in such a way. Then his sadness turned into anger and frustration… and embarrassment. More people than Victor and Otabek would see it surely… His face burned at the thought of his parents seeing it, his young fans seeing it… all the people whom he respected seeing it.

 

“If they have,” Yuri continued. “Then we may not be here for much longer,”

 

“Yurio,” the older omega said, his glassy gaze fixed on the floor. “You’re going to get out of here. Two million Euros… that can be raised I’m sure…”

 

“I told you I’m not leaving witho-,”

 

“You don’t have a choice!” shouted Yuuri, the tears finally escaping. “They won’t let you just stay!” His voice broke as he began to sob. “And neither will I,”

 

He looked up to see Yuri’s incredulous expression, his green eyes shining with tears.

 

“You’re here in the first place because of me,” Yuuri cried. “I’m not having you stay here because of me either!”

 

“Stop blaming yourself, Katsudon!” Yuri screamed in return. “Stop taking responsibility for this! It’s their fault, all of it! You’re not the one who knocked me out and tied me up in a van! You’re not the one who’s humiliated and degraded me! You’re not the one who battered me with a fucking cane!”

 

Both omegas were sobbing uncontrollably now.

 

“You don’t need to keep protecting me,” Yuri choked.

 

Yuuri sniffed back the tears and swallowed the lump in his throat. He turned to lock his glistening eyes with those of the younger man.

 

“I know,” he whispered, a small smile on his face. “I know I don’t need to. You’re fierce, independent, strong. But I want to. Because… because I love you,”

 

Yuri stared at him, his sobs having ebbed away but the tears still running freely. He opened his mouth to reply…

 

“Aww, isn’t that touching?” came a voice from behind them. Yuuri froze, his heart pounding as he realised who the voice belonged to. “My Yuuri thinks that the little Russian brat is his pup,”

 

Yuuri gulped, his mouth having become suddenly very dry. He watched as Boss emerged from the shadows behind them, circling them like a predator with its wounded pray. He made his way over to Yuri, but his eyes never left the body of the older omega. He reached out and held Yuri’s face delicately by the jaw.

 

“You’re so perfect, my Yuuri,” he cooed, his thumb caressing Yuri’s face. “Maternal instincts kicking in for this little shit. What would you do if you weren’t tied up right now?”

 

Yuuri saw the alpha’s grip tighten on his friend’s face. His own jaw clenched in response.

 

“What would you do if I did this?” he continued, before turning to face Yuri with a wicked grin. He paused for a second, before his fist cracked across the omega’s cheek.

 

“Yurio!” Yuuri screamed. “Stop it! Stop it! Let him go! Leave him alone!”

 

Boss stepped back from the blonde, whose head dropped to face the floor. Blood began to drip from his mouth.

 

“Yurio!” he shouted again. There was no response. “Yurio!”

 

Boss walked up to Yuuri, extending his hand towards his face.

 

“I don’t think he can hear you right now… Argh!” His usual smooth demeanour faltered as Yuuri sank his teeth into the alpha’s hand. He tried to pull away but Yuuri clamped down harder, the tang of fresh blood dancing on his tongue. However, Boss squeezed his other hand around Yuuri’s throat, causing the omega to gasp and relinquish his hold on the alpha’s hand.

 

The pressure released as Boss recoiled – Yuuri had spat directly in his face. He panted heavily as he watched the alpha wipe his face, smearing blood over his cheek. He looked down at his hands, tinged with red, then back up at Yuuri with a wild grin on his face.

 

“Ooh, you like to play dirty, do you?” Boss snarled, moving towards Yuuri once again. He gripped the back of the omega’s head, pulling him into a burning kiss. Yuuri struggled fruitlessly against him; he couldn’t kick out, as Boss had planted both of his feet directly on top of Yuuri’s and was pushing his body up against the omega.

 

Yuuri all but screamed in pain, but the sound was muffled by the alpha’s lips on his. Boss pulled one hand away from behind the omega’s head and caressed it down his flushed body. Yuuri cried as the pain intensified – the burn of his lips, the sting over his flesh, the soreness of his head, the pressure on his feet, the pulling of even more weight down on his shoulders.

 

The alpha forced his tongue down Yuuri’s throat, and the omega tried to thrash his head around to get away, but he was held in place by the hand at the back of his head. He squealed as the fiery touch of the alpha’s hand reached further down, slipping around Yuuri’s waist before groping at his ass. Yuuri instinctively pushed his hips away from the touch, but being trapped by the alpha’s body, he ended up with his groin pressed right against the alphas.

 

Their lips parted and Boss laughed breathily, squeezing Yuuri’s ass and pushing him flush against his body. Tears rolled down Yuuri’s face as he felt the man’s growing erection against his own groin. He was pulled back into a hungry kiss, the salt of his tears mingling with the sour taste of an alpha that was not his mate. Once again he attempted to scream as the hand made its way underneath Yuuri’s boxers, sliding round to his front.

 

The pain was becoming unbearable, and Yuuri could feel his brain begin to fog. His penis burned at the touch, and that’s when their lips parted once again. He cried out as Boss gave him a hard squeeze.

 

“What, am I not good enough for you?” the alpha growled, twisting his wrist slightly, making Yuuri whimper in pain. The omega could barely see, but through his hazy vision he saw the reaction on Boss’ face when he shook his head no. He barely registered the slap across his face, instead focussing on the relief that the offending hand had now been removed from beneath his underwear.

 

Yuuri’s head fell forward, his breathing erratic. His blurry vision now also had a dark ring around it, the circle of sight he had remaining closing slowly.

 

“Ahh…” he heard himself whimper, and his left arm came crashing down to his side. His head swam even more as the cramp in his arm took over – and it was doubled when the other arm came falling down as well. He closed his eyes, expecting his body to hit the floor at any second, but it never did. He felt his legs lifted from the ground, the muscles going into spasm as the weight was lifted from them.

 

“Shh, my love, it’s alright,” he could hear a voice, but it seemed to be far away. “It’s ok, I’ve got you,”

 

Yuuri blinked in the haze, shifting his body weight slightly. Pain coursed through him, but all he could do was whimper. He lifted his head to try and see what was going on, but it fell back onto something soft. Yuuri sighed slightly, his body sinking down into something warm and squishy. He lifted his hands to rub at his eyes, and his shoulders protested the movement fiercely, so his arms flopped back down again.

 

Warm wetness spread across his abdomen, drips of water trickling down the side of his plush hips. The soft towel made its way across his body, soothing the areas of raw skin. Yuuri was so dazed that he didn’t even stop to question it. He didn’t care if it was a hallucination or a dream, at least it was a nice one.

 

The towel made its way to his face and fingers brushed through his floppy hair. He leant into the touch.

 

“Victor…”

 

The towel was quickly removed from his body. His eyes fluttered open, and the fog was now rapidly dissipating. He adjusted his eyes to see Boss looming over him, the wet towel clutched so tightly in his hands that water was dripping onto the floor. Yuuri sat up, groaning against the pain in his body.

 

“Lie on your front now,” the alpha said in monotone. “I need to clean your back,”

 

Yuuri blinked at him, his mind now almost completely clear. He looked down at the marks on his body and then snapped his head up to find Yuri. The blonde was still tied up, but he was staring in Yuuri’s direction, eyes wide with fear.

 

Yuuri bolted off the couch, stumbling over to his younger friend. Even travelling such a short distance his breath has become ragged, the various pains dragging him down. He threw his arms up in the air to untie his friend, his shoulders aching like they had never ached before.

 

“Yuuri..!” the other omega whispered fearfully. “Yuuri don’t!”

 

But the older man paid him no attention. The blonde’s arm fell down by his side, and he gasped at the mixture of pain and relief. Yuuri jumped over to the other side to untie his other wrist, but he was pulled back by strong arms wrapped around his waist.

 

Yuuri threw his arms back, lashing out in a desperate attempt to hurt the alpha and return to rescuing his friend. It was no use though, and he was dragged backwards, kicking and screaming. His heels slammed and scraped on the ground, further intensifying the torture that his body was already enduring. As he retreated he saw the look of determination on Yuri’s face.

 

He let himself be pulled back onto the couch, this time onto the alpha’s lap. Boss arranged Yuuri’s weakened body into an artificially tender embrace; Yuuri was sat sideways on the alpha’s thighs, his legs bent at the knees and his head tucked onto the alpha’s chest, curled up in a fetus-like position.

 

Thick arms clamped around him; one at his waist and another at his shoulders. He felt a hot breath down his ear.

 

“What do you think is going to happen when he gets out of that?” he growled lowly. “You’re clearly slow learners, so I’ll spell it out to you – he’s going to get punished,”

 

Yuuri clenched every muscle in his body to stop it from trembling. He craned his head to look up at the alpha, whose eyes were following Yuri’s every move intently. Yuuri turned his gaze the same way to see Yuri struggling to untie himself with one hand.

 

“It’s nothing you wouldn’t do anyway,” said Yuuri plainly. He felt the grip on his body tighten. “Why are you doing this to him?”

 

Boss tore his eyes away from the younger man to lock eyes with Yuuri. His brows were furrowed slightly, his eyes darting back and forth by subtly. “Because it’s fun,” he replied simply.

 

Yuuri felt rage burning in the pit of his stomach. He turned his attention back to Yuri, who seemed to be getting nowhere in his efforts to free himself. The older omega took a deep breath before shifting his weight so that he could face the alpha directly.

 

 _He’ll never forgive me for doing this._ The alpha stared hungrily back into his eyes.

 

“Forget the ransom,” Yuuri said through clenched teeth, his gaze not wavering. “Just let him go, and I’ll stay here. I’ll do anything, just let him go.”

 

They stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity. Boss’ pupils had blown wide, and his breath hitched with excitement.

 

“Oh, Yuuri,” he purred. He crushed his lips against the omegas, and Yuuri didn’t put up a fight. He pulled back from the kiss, his breath heavy. “You just don’t understand, do you?”

Yuuri’s heart sank to his knees. He stared up at the alpha, his eyes fearful. Boss merely smiled back down at him, planted a soft kiss on his forehead, and turned his attention back to Yuri.

 

“I could use some help in here!” he chimed, gripping Yuuri tighter. Yuri’s eyes widened in fear and he began claw desperately at the rope.

 

The door swung open and the other three men walked in. One of them strode up to the blonde and pulled his arm back up, securing it once again with rope. Yuri kicked and screamed, thrashing his limbs to try and stop the alpha from restraining him again, but he didn’t succeed. Once he was tied up again, another alpha bent down slightly, wrapped his arms around the omega’s waist and lifted him off the ground.

 

Yuuri struggled against Boss’ hold, but his weak body was no match for the muscular arms of the alpha. He watched as Yuri struggled in the other man’s grip, and the other two moved to each side of the metal pole.

 

There was a moment of clanging and squeaking, during which Yuuri could feel the excitement rushing off Boss. His eyes were lit up watching and his grip on the omega had become bruising. Yuuri watched horrified as the metal bar was slowly risen further up from the ground, followed by more bangs. The alpha holding Yuri then lowered him down.

 

The blonde struggled to find purchase on the floor beneath him. His toes barely grazed the ground, and already he was glittering with sweat due to the pressure of his whole body weight on his shoulders.

 

Adrenaline coursed through Yuuri’s body and he wriggled his way free of the alpha’s grip, but he had barely gotten anywhere when the beta advanced on him, a clenched fist raised. Yuuri instinctively curled into a ball, his hands clutching his head. He braced for a punch, but instead large hands wrapped around his lower legs, and a pair of thick arms slid beneath his armpits. His whole body was lifted, and he thrashed his limbs in a desperate attempt to escape. He was thrown once again onto the couch, the soft surface doing nothing to prevent the whiplash he felt.

 

Yuuri could only groan when he felt hands over his body once again. He was so tired, the horrific treatment they were receiving at the hands of these men was relentless. Another groan rumbled through his chest as he was hauled into a sitting position, back onto the alphas lap, but this time the omegas back was flush with the alphas chest. Boss wrapped his huge arms around Yuuri’s torso, pinning him tightly in position.

 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the alpha growled down his ear. “Just watch as he gets what he deserves,”

 

Yuuri’s whole body was shaking, his breathing erratic and shallow. He squeezed his eyes so tightly shut that small lights began to burst behind his lids.

 

“And if you keep refusing to watch, the worse it will get for him,”

 

Yuuri could already here the younger omega struggling. He slowly opened his eyes to see Yuri still dangling from the restraints at his wrists, his toes desperately clawing at the ground below him. Yuuri’s shivers increased and his eyes began to water once again. He could see behind Yuri now, and he observed that there was a stack of three shelves at the back of the room on the opposite wall to a small wooden door. The other three men were gathered around the shelves, muttering amongst themselves.

 

Yuuri warred with his inner omega, which was begging him to leap up again and protect the younger man. He swallowed down the bitter tears, knowing that the more he resisted, the worse it would get. Or so they had been told… but he didn’t want to risk otherwise.

 

The two alphas made their way back over to the blonde, each had something gripped in their hand. Yuuri’s chest tightened when he saw the barbs at the end of two long metal rods. His blood ran cold as he felt the alpha’s breath down his ear.

 

“Do you know what they are, Yuuri?” he whispered. The omega did nothing to respond, his eyes fixed on Yuri.

 

Yuri’s body was shining brightly in the soft light due to the layer of sweat that covered him. Tears began to flow down his face as one of the alphas drew nearer to him, dipping his head down into the crook of Yuri’s neck to sniff at the non-existent scent. His empty hand stroked Yuri’s chest, and then in the blink of an eye, whipped Yuri’s underwear off.

 

The omega cried out, trying to cross his legs to maintain his modesty, but it was no use. He stood exposed and vulnerable in front of the alphas, who drank in the sight of his body.

 

“Good thing he’s an omega,” Boss whispered. “He couldn’t please anyone with that tiny thing,”

 

As well as he could, Yuuri had averted his eyes away from his friend’s nakedness, wanting for Yuri to still have some dignity to hold onto. He focussed hard on the omega’s face, which was crumpled and glistening with a mixture of sweat and tears. One alpha lifted the metal rod to Yuri’s abdomen, and poked his pale skin lightly with the barbs.

 

Yuri stilled, his breath held. He looked down at where the metal met his flesh, his eyes wide. He looked back up at the alpha in fear and confusion. Then, there was a short zap, and Yuri yelped.

 

Yuuri began to struggle against the alpha once again, thrashing his legs and wriggling his body to try and loosen the larger man’s grip. However, the hand on his chest just slid up to his neck, pulling him back in a choke hold.

 

“I said _watch,_ ” the alpha hissed down his ear. Yuuri attempted to pull his arms up to claw at the intrusion on his throat, but they were trapped down by his waist by the alpha’s other arm. He gasped out for breath, and slowed his struggle to a stop. When he was lay back, panting, he was pulled forward again. The alpha gripped his jaw and pointed his face in the direction of Yuri.

 

Tears rolled down Yuuri’s face as he watched his friend writhe in pain, the sounds of his cries echoing through the small room.

 

“Stop,” he whispered. “Please stop…” But Boss only hugged him tighter. He just wanted to tear his eyes away from the scene, but he didn’t want to risk Yuri getting hurt any more. He tried to block out the sounds of Yuri’s cries whenever the pole zapped him again, but there was nothing else to focus on. “Please, stop hurting him…”

 

He felt a warm breath down the back of his neck, and his ear twitched when lips brushed against it.

 

“Are you feeling left out, darling?” Boss whispered in his ear, his hand slowly travelling along Yuuri’s hips and towards his crotch. “Do you wish it was you up there?”

 

Yuuri’s breath hitched, the grip on his jaw was beginning to slacken. “Yes,” he said dejectedly. “Just put me in his place, please,”

 

Amazingly, the vice-like grip around his body softened. The hand slid away from his jaw and the arms that were locking him against the alpha began to slacken. He was pushed gently off of Boss’ lap, and he stood up, slightly shocked that his proposition had finally worked.

 

He tensed once again as the alpha slipped his arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, guiding him in the direction of the blonde. The torture there was still ongoing, Yuri now screaming in pain with every touch. Yuuri was lead within a metre of the younger man, directly facing him.

 

“That’s enough for now lads,” said Boss, holding his free hand up. “Yuuri wants a turn,”

 

The other alphas glanced over at one another, and then moved to begin untying Yuri.

 

“No, no,” sighed Boss. “I mean it’s Yuuri’s turn to hurt him,”

 

“No!” gasped Yuuri. “That… that is not… please just put me in his place!”

 

“Oh, silly me!” exclaimed Boss, bringing his free hand up to his forehead. “I thought you meant take his place!” He pointed at one of the men who had been tormenting the younger omega.

 

“W-What? N-No… p-please… please let him go and hurt me instead,” Yuuri stuttered, his wide eyes cast down to the floor.

 

“Too late!” sang Boss. “I’ve decided that my idea is much more fun! One of you give him a cattle prod please~”

 

The metal pole was shoved underneath Yuuri’s nose. He turned his head to look up at Boss, his eyes swimming with tears.

 

“P-Please… don’t…” he began to tremble. “I-I can’t…”

 

“Well Yuuri, I’ll make you a deal,” he replied, leaning down to the omegas height. “You give him a few pokes with this – more, if you find it as fun as we do – or I’ll just have these two carry on until your little friend passes out. Okay?”

 

Yuuri stared at him incredulously. Of course, it was a no-brainer. But, he didn’t know if he physically could hurt his friend. He looked up to see Yuri’s heavy-lidded gaze on him.

 

“Katsudon…” he whispered, his glassy gaze unwavering. Yuuri clenched his teeth and grasped hold of the cattle prod. The arm around his shoulders gave a small squeeze.

 

“Well done my Yuuri,” Boss murmured. “When the prongs are on the skin, just press this button to deliver the shock. Three shocks, on three different parts of his body,”

 

Yuuri looked down at the cattle prod gripped in his white knuckles. He gulped and sniffed back the tears, straightening his back. His brow furrowed as he thought of the least painful places to administer the shock. “Okay,”

 

“Which we will be choosing!” said Boss, his face lighting up. He nodded in the direction of the Russian alpha. “You go first!”

 

“His nipple,” Russian said without hesitation. Yuuri’s grip tightened even further on the pole. He knew that a shock to the nipple would hurt. He looked up into Yuri’s eyes once again, which were glazed over but begged him to just get on with it.

 

Yuuri held his breath and lifted the cattle prod up until the barbs were resting on either side of Yuri’s left nipple. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, as he squeezed his finger down to deliver the shock.

 

Yuri threw his head back as he screamed, his body tensing all over from the pain. His legs struggled to find the slightest grip that he had on the floor again. After a few seconds he was mostly still bar his ragged breathing, and his head was tipped facing the floor.

 

“You next!” said Boss, his voice dripping with pleasure. Yuuri’s head swam as the scent of peppermint spiked with excitement.

 

“His balls,” said German. Yuuri clenched his teeth and had to refrain from smacking the alpha over the head with the rod.

 

“You’re sick,” Yuuri spat. “You’re all disgusting,”

 

Silence permeated the room.

 

“His balls,” German repeated, with a hefty amount of threat laced into his voice.

 

Yuuri didn’t even look up. He couldn’t look his friend in the eye. He just needed to get it over with. He lifted the barbs up to Yuri’s scrotum and didn’t hesitate to push the button.

 

Tears ran down Yuuri’s face and his legs buckled beneath him as his friend’s blood-curdling scream pierced the room. Yuuri’s knees thudded to the floor and he wailed into his hands.

 

“Oi, you’re not done yet,” Boss growled, pulling Yuuri back up by the armpit. “There’s still my turn.”

 

Yuri’s breathing was erratic now, and slowing down. Yuuri knew he had to get this ordeal over with soon. He glanced up at Boss, who was stroking his chin and humming in thought.

 

“That’s a difficult one to top,” he mused. “But I want to run a little experiment… would it hurt more on your genitals, or on your scent gland?”

 

Yuuri choked at the thought. He’d already been forced to hurt his friend in two of the most highly sensitive areas of his body, but his scent gland?! Yuuri’s throat constricted at the thought. He knew it was different for everyone, and he prayed that Yuri’s gland was a lot less sensitive than his.

 

“Yuuuuurrriiii…” the other omega moaned quietly. “P-Pleeease…”

 

Yuuri’s wide eyes fixed on the glassy green orbs once again. He held the metal rod up to the omega’s neck, resting it where the sensitive scent gland would be. He could see his whole arm shaking and the rod with it.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he whimpered, his voice cracking. He could have sworn that a sad smile ghosted over Yuri’s face – and with that, he pressed the buzzer.

 

A broken gasp and Yuri’s eyes widening were the only indication that he had felt any pain, and then his body slumped heavily forward. A clang echoed through the room as Yuuri dropped the cattle prod and he stepped over to Yuri, taking the small man’s body weight in his arms. Yuri slumped against him; clearly he wasn’t going to come around any time soon.

 

Yuuri was sobbing into the blonde’s pale chest when he felt the warm breath tickle his ear once again.

 

“Well done, Yuuri,” Boss whispered. “As promised, that’s all for tonight,”

 

Yuuri continued to cry as he felt a light kiss on his temple, and seconds later he heard the door opening behind him, before it banged shut.

 

He held the blonde in his arms for minutes on end, until his body began to shake from the effort. He needed to get Yuri down. He gently lowered the blonde’s body until his shoulders took all of his weight once again, and Yuuri hurried to untie his friend. He pulled at the right hand knot, Yuri’s arm crashing towards the ground. His whole body then swung to the left, as now all his weight was on that arm. Yuuri hooked the omega’s right arm over his shoulders, hoping to break is fall when he untied the second knot.

 

Yuuri struggled with the second knot for longer, having only one free hand, but eventually the rope pulled loose and all of Yuri’s weight bared down on him. Yuuri carefully lowered himself to the floor, his knees and arms screaming with the effort. He lay Yuri down on the floor carefully, cradling his head so that it didn’t smack off the ground. The older man paused for breath for a moment, before lifting his friend up bridal-style and laying him down on the couch.

 

He gazed at Yuri for a moment. The Russian was almost unrecognisable – with his face sunken and pale and short hair, he looked like a starved child. Yuuri rubbed his finger along the younger man’s temple, wiping the sweat away from his brow.

 

Once his breathing had regulated, he got up in search of something to comfort Yuri with. He picked up the discarded boxers from the floor and wiggled them up the omegas hips so that he may have some decency. All he wanted to do was curl up next to the younger omega and sleep, but Yuri was soon going to freeze with the layer of sweat on his body now rapidly cooling down. Yuuri staggered around the room to try and find something to cover his friend with. The shelves were fairly empty, and Yuuri didn’t really want to stop to think too hard about the few objects sat on them. He wandered over to the wooden door and pushed it open.

 

Yuuri was hit in the face with a string, and he jumped slightly before realising it must be a light switch. He pulled down until it clicked, and it illuminated a bathroom.

 

He stood and stared for a moment. It was an unnervingly normal sight – a large bath stood at one end with a shower leaning over it; a white toilet sat opposite a ceramic basin; several towels hung from racks on the wall. He ran over to grab two large towels and a hand towel, taking them back into the room where Yuri still lay unconscious.

 

As though Yuri’s skin were actually made of porcelain, Yuuri towelled the younger omega dry using the smaller hand towel. He dabbed gently at the pale skin, cautious of the many inflamed areas. Once he was satisfied that his friend was dry, he folded the small towel and tucked it beneath Yuri’s head as a pillow. He lay out the large towels as if they were blankets, covering as much of the younger man’s body as he could with the surprisingly soft fabric.

 

Yuuri sighed tiredly and stroked down the Russian man’s face. He prayed that Yuri would not be tormented any further by these men. He raised himself up on shaky legs, his knees creaking after having been knelt by the couch for so long. He sat at Yuri’s feet, his own legs curling up on themselves. He wanted so badly to cuddle the other omega, smother him in his comforting scent. However the couch was far too narrow to fit two people widthways, so he settled for the trace skin contact of Yuri’s feet on his legs.

 

A yawn broke through his thoughts, and he rubbed his eyes tiredly. His forehead was beginning to ache dully from his lack of glasses. Suddenly, all the pain and discomfort crashed down upon him, making his heavy body sink further into the couch. He buried his head in his knees and focussed on his breathing.

 

 _Please, Victor._ He prayed. _Help Yura, do whatever you can. Please forgive me for leaving you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure whether to make the chapter super long and add in a Yuri POV as well... I decided not to as I'm quite busy so adding that would take me ages! Also I'm not sure if the chapters are getting too long? 
> 
> Honestly your comments and Kudos really keep me going! I absolutely love writing this and it keeps me motivated to see other people enjoying this weird little brain child of mine :L 
> 
> <3


	11. Sacrifices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait my lovelies, life has a habit of getting in the way of the things we enjoy! But to make it up to you this chapter is the longest yet <3
> 
> Honestly your comments and kudos floor me every time! I'm so glad people are still enjoying this!

All that could be heard through the corridor was Victor’s screams, punctuated by the shattering of glass or unidentifiable cracks. Otabek sat with his back to the wall, facing the door to Victor’s room, his breathing heavy and shaky. Otto and Helena were jabbering away on their phones in German, presumably for some sort of back-up to deal with the situation. Otabek looked up at Yuuri’s parents, who were making their way down the corridor via each room, apologising profusely for the noise.

 

Yakov and Nikolai were nowhere to be seen - presumably Yakov was a step ahead of the rest of them as he always was, figuring out how to deal with the ransom; or possibly the aftermath of whatever destruction Victor was going to leave in his wake.

 

 _Not Victor._ Otabek reminded himself. _His alpha._

Otabek rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. Being an alpha often meant being amongst the most privileged in society – but it had some extreme downfalls. Since presenting, Otabek grew to loathe his ruts; he felt like an uncontrollable monster, eager to devour anything in front of him. Even during the course of his relationship with Yuri, he had refused to see a rut through with the help of the younger man; he simply didn’t trust his alpha side. However, he had never lost control to his alpha outside of a rut… and he was thankful, as it was something terrifying to behold.

 

Otabek wasn’t the tallest, but he was strong. He gained muscle easily because of his biology, and it stayed put due to his sport. But still, he had felt like a ragdoll at the mercy of Victor’s alpha. If Victor hadn’t shone through in that split second, he was sure he’d have ended up in hospital.

 

Another shatter followed by a scream pierced through the air. Victor was swearing and growling, his scent pouring through the cracks in the door.

 

_He’s hurt. He’s so badly hurt._

 

Worried glances were exchanged between people in the corridor. A woman in her forties crept out of her room and whispered to Helena.

 

“Mr Altin,” Helena said pointedly. “This kind woman here is an omega. She is willing to use her scent to calm Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov, if you think that is appropriate?”

 

“No!” interrupted Mari. “I mean… I’m sorry, we really appreciate the offer. But I think if anyone other than Yuuri were to enter that room right now, we will end up needing an ambulance,”

 

The middle-aged woman nodded and smiled as Helena translated for her, before retreating into her room with a worried glance over her shoulder. Otto sighed deeply, rubbing his whole face with the palms of his hands.

 

“Officers are on their way to restrain Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov,” he huffed.

 

Otabek jumped to his feet. “Wait, please! He may yet calm down, there’s no need for their intervention!”

 

Otto and Helena glanced at one another. Helena’s mouth was in a hard line. “So first you refuse help which could have abated this situation quickly, and now you’re trying to stop us from protecting others from him?”

 

Another smash sounded through the corridor.

 

“He’s not hurting anyone! He’s staying in there!” Otabek pleaded. “If he comes out then by all means restrain him, but he won’t. I think he has enough control to stop himself before it comes to that,”

 

Neither officer looked convinced.

 

“Besides, if they go in there and he attacks them…” He continued. “Then you’ll have no choice but to arrest him, and I really think that is the opposite of what we need right now,”

 

Otto glared down at him for a moment, before closing his eyes and taking a deep inhale. “You’re quite right Mr Altin,” he breathed, opening his eyes. “But we will station officers right outside the door. And if he does emerge in the same state, we will have no choice,”

 

Otabek nodded stiffly. He appreciated the gesture but was unhappy with how they were demonising Victor – a man who had just seen his close friend and omega in such a state.

 

His legs took him down the corridor towards the stairs. He relished the cool air swirling through the stairwell via the open windows, and the tapping of his shoes on each step quietly echoing through the emptiness. All too soon he reached the bottom of the stairs, and he took a seat on the last step. He took out his phone to contact Yakov, but found a text from the older man already waiting for him.

 

**We will meet you at your hotel room in twenty minutes – Y**

Otabek glanced at the timestamp to see that the message had sent fifteen minutes ago, so he rose with a sigh and began the long journey up the many flights of stairs.

 

By the time he reached his room, Yakov and Nikolai were already waiting for him. Otabek’s breath was slightly heavy after climbing up a dozen flights of stairs, but his mind felt much clearer after the exercise. He nodded at the two betas, took his keycard from his pocket and invited them in.

 

The room was very similar to Victor’s. A large bed sat proudly in the middle of the room, a small living space complete with comfortable chairs bordered the floor-to-ceiling windows. He blushed slightly at the thought of so openly flaunting that he shared a bed with Yuri – but of course, the older men knew that already.

 

Otabek poured the three of them a glass of water each before taking a seat next to the window, staring out at the orange glow of the city below him. The two betas sat tentatively beside him.

 

“Otabek,” said Yakov quietly. “Nikolai and myself have been discussing the subject of the ransom,”

 

The alpha swallowed thickly, laying his empty glass down upon the table, his gaze out of the window unmoving.

 

“We’re going to set up an account on a non-profit website, where people can donate to the fee,” the Russian man continued. “In conjunction to that, we are willing to donate whatever we can from our own personal funds,”

 

Otabek whipped his head around to meet their eyes, his mouth agape. “You can’t do that!” he spluttered.

 

“Beka, all I care about is seeing Yura get home safely,” said Nikolai. “I’ll do whatever it takes,”

 

“Yuuri as well,” continued Yakov. “Four million Euros is… possible. But we are willing to make sacrifices to see them come out of the other end of this unharmed,”

 

Otabek cast his eyes down to his hands clasped in his lap. He would do anything for Yuri as well, but there wasn’t all that much he’d be able to give up in the first place.

 

_“Aren’t opals supposed to be unlucky?” The alpha asked._

_“Eh, I’ve not a clue,” Yuri replied, his mouth full of pirozhki. “They look like hell to find though,”_

_They sat with their legs entangled on the sofa of Yuri’s apartment, flicking through the mid-week television and settling for some documentary about the Australian outback. The screen showed workers far down in narrow tunnels dug straight down from the ground, covered in flies. The narrator said that they were searching for opals._

_“Huh, I thought they were like black and red,” exclaimed Yuri, when the camera panned to one workers’ haul. The cream-coloured stones glinted blues and pinks and greens in the unforgiving Australian sun. “These ones are much more boring!”_

_Yuri scanned Google to find the gems he was originally looking for. “Look, Beka! They are opals, just a different kind,” He flicked through the images. “It’s called a Dragon’s Breath opal, but they are found in South America, not Australia,”_

_Otabek hugged the younger man closer as he continued to scroll through the many pictures._

_“They’re so cool, I want one,” Yuri said._

_Otabek snorted. “You’re such an Edgelord,”_

_Yuri hit him in the face with a cushion. “Whatever! They look like a galaxy trapped in a stone, it’s freaking awesome,”_

_“You’re not helping your case here,” Otabek grinned, pulling Yuri on top of him. The younger man grinned right back down at him, leaning down until their lips were almost touching._

_“You’re just jealous because there are rocks out there prettier than you,” Yuri teased, brushing his thumb over the shell of Otabek’s ear._

_“I’m quite used to being out-prettied,” Otabek retorted, resting his hands on the blonde’s thighs. “I am with you after all,”_

_That night whilst Yuri slept beside him, Otabek trawled through the internet to find the best Dragon’s Breath opal ring Yuri could ever wish for._

_He lay back on the pillow, stroking the omega’s long blonde hair, curling the silky strands around his fingers. He had the ring, he had the place… now all he needed was the time._

“Thank you, both of you,” Otabek whispered. “I…I want him back safely too. I don’t have much but… whatever it takes,”

 

Nikolai reached over to squeeze the younger man’s hand. “You’re not alone,” he smiled.

 

Otabek took a deep breath and looked up at Yakov. “I may not have much, but my father certainly does,”

 

Yakov’s eyebrows raised slightly, but his face soon rearranged into a neutral mask. Otabek wasn’t surprised – he never spoke about his family. They had come up in conversation a few times with Yuri but he always tried to change the subject.

 

“My father owns a rather successful business,” he explained, his leg bouncing anxiously. “All he ever wanted was for me to take over it. I’m their only child… and he never wanted me to skate. The moment I left school at sixteen, he tried to begin training me up for running the business. My mother stepped in and thanks to her I could pursue my dream… but he never supported me, neither emotionally nor financially

 

“When I told him about Yura, he urged me to settle down with him, have children and take over the business. I told him no. Maybe later in my life… but I didn’t even know at that time if Yura ever wanted children, and even if he did he would want to wait. He knows that my skating career won’t last much longer,” Otabek stood up and walked over to refill his glass, downing it on one. “I’ve worked hard to make it to this Grand Prix Final. I never intended for it to be my last. Hell, it won’t even get to be my last, given the circumstances,”

 

“Otabek,” whispered Yakov. “What are you saying?”

 

The alpha swallowed down his bitterness, turning to face the older men. “I’m going back to Kazakhstan. If I have to give up my skating career, I will. If I have to grovel on my hands and knees before him, I will,” He clenched his fists. “Whatever he wants from me now, I’ll give it to him. Because all I want is Yura and Yuuri to be back with us, and they are well worth the sacrifices,”

 

Nikolai and Yakov stared at him, incredulous. Otabek turned around to hide the tears welling up behind his eyes. He knocked back another glass of water, wishing it were something stronger. He gripped the edge of the table.

 

“Beka,” said Nikolai. “I’ll stand by you, whatever you choose,”

 

Otabek had barely turned back around before he was enveloped in a hug from the older man. He gritted his teeth, determined not to shed any more tears. When they parted, Yakov came up and patted him on the shoulder.

 

“We’ll get the ball rolling with everything down here,” he said. “How long will you be gone?”

 

Otabek sighed. “Two or three days I suppose? But it will be well worth the trip if I can get money from him,”

 

Nikolai glanced at Yakov momentarily, before clearing his throat. “And… how much…”

 

“Five million,” interrupted Otabek. He was met with two very shocked expressions. “The company at the moment is worth about five million dollars. I’m not expecting to get all of that of course, but even a fraction of that will be of great help,”

 

 

Once the betas had left the room, Otabek dragged his numb body around to pack up all of his things. Yakov had assured him that Victor would be safe in their hands whilst he was gone, but that didn’t stop him worrying about the lack of another alpha presence around Victor during such a delicate time.

 

He began with packing away Yuri’s belongings. It wasn’t difficult, given that the blonde preferred to live out of a suitcase for four days rather than put any of his clothes in the storage provided. Once Yuri’s bag was packed, he placed it close to the door, so that Yakov could find it easily when he came to pick it up later.

 

A deep groan rumbled through Otabek’s chest as he began taking his clothes down from their hangers, folding them meticulously and laying them neatly in his suitcase. He hated being such a neat-freak sometimes, but there was no rush as the next plane to Almaty wasn’t for hours yet. As he flattened out a pair of trousers on the bed, his hand hit a square bump under the pocket.

 

He gulped. His hands were shaking as he pulled the blue velvet box out from the pocket.

 

_Don’t open it, don’t look at it._

But his thumb had already pushed the lid up. The ring stared up at him. The stone was mostly black, with red, orange and purple flecks adorning the sides; it looked almost like a cat’s eye. The large circular gem was set in a simple white-gold band, which curled slightly where it met the stone.

 

_I don’t remember it glittering so much._

Tears finally spilled down Otabek’s cheeks. He closed the box, clutching it tightly. His tears ran silently down, past the velvet case, splashing onto his lap as he knelt by the bed.

 

 _Maybe opals really are unlucky._               

 

 

A low rumbling filled the corridor as Otabek dragged his suitcase behind him. Seeing the ring again had filled him with a new sense of purpose, solidifying in his mind that the decision he was making was the right one. He stepped into the lift at the end of the corridor, his hand hovering above the ground floor button. Instead, his hand drifted up and landed on the number ten.

 

Seconds later he stepped out into the eerily quiet tenth floor corridor. Two police officers stood near the far end. They glared at Otabek as he made his way towards them, and he felt very conscious of the wheels of his suitcase piercing the quiet of the hallway.

 

“Excuse me,” Otabek said, clearing his throat. “I’d like to see Victor,”

 

The officers kept glaring at him. He wasn’t sure if they didn’t understand him or were just being difficult.

 

“Victor,” he repeated, pointing at the door.

 

One officer sighed and cracked the door open, whispering in German. A few seconds later, Otto strode out.

 

“Mr Altin!” he exclaimed. “What can I do for you?”

 

“I’m here to see Victor before I head back to Kazakhstan,” he explained tersely. “May I come in?”

 

“Ahh, yes of course,” Otto replied sheepishly. “You… you were quite right Mr Altin… once he had calmed down, he did not try to hurt anyone else,”

 

_Of course he didn’t. He only attacked me because I was in his way._

Otabek merely nodded at the man, stepping by him to enter the room. The door clicked shut behind him and he was bathed in a cocktail of opposing scents.

 

Hurt, anger, comfort, sadness… the combination didn’t make sense. He placed his suitcase down near the door and pushed further into the dimly-lit room.

 

Chaos spread before him. Glass and ceramic crunched under foot, topped by a layer of downy material. Shreds of cloth were strewn about the room, and even in the low light, Otabek could see spots of blood on the floor and the walls.

 

Not that there was much left of the walls. It was mostly caved in, pieces of plasterboard hanging precariously or littering the floor at the edges of the room. Large splinters of wood adorned the floor as well, the doors and drawers having been ripped from their hinges.

 

A small whine drew his attention to the corner of the room, where a mountain of fluff and cloth contained two figures. Hiroko was sat with her arms enveloping Victor, but all that could be seen of him was a tuft of silver hair. The rest of his body was covered completely in pieces of fabric and items of clothing. She was stroking his hair and murmuring soothingly to him in Japanese.

 

They looked so peaceful in that moment, Otabek didn’t want to ruin it. Before he could muster the strength to interrupt them, Hiroko turned to him, smiling. She beckoned him over, and he treaded lightly towards the nest, crouching down when he reached it.

 

“Vicchan,” she murmured, still stroking his hair. “You have a visitor,”

 

Victor’s head emerged from its coverings, revealing his pale face. Dark rings had formed around his red eyes, his cheeks blotchy with tear stains. His bright blue eyes shone with tears still, and he blinked in the sight of the other alpha.

 

“Beka,” came the cracked whisper. “I-I’m so sorry…”

 

“It’s okay, Victor,” he replied softly. “Honestly,”

 

Victor sat up slowly, rubbing the tears away from his eyes. He leant forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Otabek. The younger man returned the hug, letting out a slight hint of comforting pheromones.

 

“I’m back in control now,” Victor mumbled into Otabek’s shoulder. “That won’t happen again,”

 

They pulled apart, and Victor couldn’t look Otabek in the eye. He rested himself back down into the nest, his fingers entwining with those of Hiroko. Otabek took a deep breath, and wondered how he was going to tell Victor that he was leaving.

 

“So…” he began awkwardly. “I believe Chris is on his way up to stay with you?”

 

“Yes,” whispered Victor, his gaze still not meeting Otabek’s. “It will be good to have the two of you around,”

 

_Oh Christ._

“Well, you see…” he continued. “I’m heading back to Kazakhstan for a few days,”

 

Victor’s eyes snapped up, the tears brimming over. “What? No… please don’t leave!”

 

“I have to, Victor-,”

 

“No!” the older man begged. “Please don’t! I can’t handle it without you!”

 

Otabek gripped the Russian man by his shoulders and pulled him close, dark eyes boring into blue.

 

“Victor!” he barked. “My father, he’s filthy rich. I need to get his help for the ransom if we want any chance of getting Yura and Yuuri back home!”

 

Victor stared at him, his eyes wide. “Your… father?”

 

“Yes,” Otabek replied. “It’s complicated. I’ll explain later. But he might be able to help us,”

 

Victor’s eyebrows continued to rise. “How… how much?”

 

“I don’t know,” Otabek admitted. “I might not even get anything. Like I said, it’s complicated. But it’s one of the biggest chances we’ve got,”

 

Warmth enveloped him, and the scent of a loving home made him momentarily forget his troubles. He blinked back the tears as Hiroko embraced him, her shoulders shaking slightly. When she pulled away, Otabek could see that she was smiling through her sadness.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered, taking his hand. He gave it a slight squeeze in reply, his other hand finding Victor’s. They sat for a moment, all seemingly in silent prayer.

 

“We have money too,” croaked Victor. He pulled Otabek closer to him. “Yuuri and I, we’ve been saving for a long time… we want to start a skating academy at home in Japan, the two of us being coaches there, and with the help of Minako-sensei, bring forth a new generation of skaters,”

 

Otabek’s mouth had fallen slightly open. He had no idea, and he imagined Yuri didn’t either. Whatever Victor and Yuuri were planning, it couldn’t be that far along.

 

“We have… about half a million dollars currently saved up,” Victor continued, his voice breaking slightly. “We’d need quite a bit more to get it off the ground, but I’m more than willing to sacrifice it all for Yuuri and Yurio,”

 

Otabek set his jaw and looked his friend in the eye. “Our sacrifices will not be in vain,” He rose, Victor and Hiroko’s hands slipping away from him. “I’ll let you know what happens with my father,”

 

 

Gravel crunched beneath Otabek’s feet when he emerged from the taxi on his parent’s drive. His mother was already waiting at the door, biting her thumbnail. He gave her a brisk hug in greeting, and her arms lingered around him.

 

“It’s good to see you, Beka,” she said, her hand cupping his stubbly face. “Come and rest, you must be tired,”

 

“Where’s father?” asked Otabek. The hand slowly withdrew, and he followed his mother into the house.

 

“He’s upstairs in the study,” she sighed, biting her thumbnail once again. “He… he knows you are coming. And he knows why,”

 

“Good,” replied Otabek stiffly. He was in no mood for a lecture from his father, but he would have to grit his teeth and bare it. If he wanted to help Yuri, then he would have to take it.

 

His mother took his suitcase up to his old room, as he made his way towards the study. When he reached it, he knocked three times. There was a slight pause, the faint rustle of some paper, and then his father replied.

 

“Come in,” came the drawl that Otabek loathed. He pushed the heavy door open into the obnoxiously large office to see his father sitting at an obnoxiously large desk, on an obnoxiously large chair. The man didn’t look up from what he was writing, the scratching sound of his fountain pen on paper grating in Otabek’s ears. “Sit,”

 

Otabek took a seat on the opposite side of the desk, still his father did not look up. He knew better than to interrupt whatever it was he was doing, even though he was probably just testing his son. His thumbs fidgeted in his lap as he glanced around the room; he felt like a young schoolboy waiting for a telling-off from the headmaster. Eventually his father capped his pen, slid it into the breast pocket of his jacket, and took his glasses off. He pulled out a small cloth and wiped at the lenses before settling them back onto his face, leaning on the table by his elbows to look at the man across from him.

 

“Father,” said Otabek by way of greeting.

 

“Son,” the older man replied. An awkward silence followed. Otabek took a breath in to begin a sentence, but he was interrupted before he could start. “Come here begging for my charity, I believe?”

 

Otabek tried so hard not to glare at his father. “Not your charity. I intend to offer something in return,”

 

“Oh,” his father’s eyes lit up. “And what might that be?”

 

“Me,” the younger man replied. “I’ll give up everything, become the man you always wanted me to be. I’ll run the business, I’ll give up skating, settle down and start a family…”

 

His father snorted. “Hard to settle down without an omega,”

 

Otabek’s nostrils flared, but he squashed down his rising temper. “That’s where I need your help,”

 

His father leant back in his chair, a smug smile on his face. “Yes, I saw the video. Rather sadistic, don’t you think?”

 

“We want them back safely,” Otabek replied, refusing to indulge his father’s taunting. “But we can’t do it on our own,”

 

His father scratched his chin slightly, seemingly deep in thought. He frowned, pulling himself back upright and locking eyes with his son. He stood, turning his back from his son to gaze outside of the window.

 

“This Yuri,” his father continued, clasping his hands behind his back. “Not the sort of person I want my son involved with. Far too immature. Rebellious, short-tempered… why, it sounds as though I’m talking about you,”

 

“Father,” Otabek’s stern voice interrupted. “Please, get to the point,”

 

His father turned his head over his shoulder to look at Otabek, sighing. “Very well. Tell me what you want from me,”

 

Otabek swallowed thickly as his father resumed his seat behind his desk. “The ransom amounts to four million euros-,”

 

“No it doesn’t,” his father butted in. “Two million each is what they said. Don’t tell me you came here thinking I’d pay for the both of them?”

 

A growl threatened to rumble through Otabek’s chest. “Of course not, father,” he said through gritted teeth. “I came here in the hope that you would donate to the cause, however much you see fit,”

 

“Donate? That implies I won’t be getting anything in return,”

 

“Well what do you want in return?” Otabek snapped. He felt his cheeks burning slightly as he met his father’s eyes, which were sparkling with glee.

 

“I will donate one million Euros to the cause. I will pay for your travel expenses to and from Berlin. Once you have your omega back, you will bond him. You will settle down in Kazakhstan and begin to take over the business. You will give me grandchildren. You will no longer waste time and money on ice skating. My aim is to be retired in 5 years time, by which point the business will be entirely yours,”

 

Otabek was speechless. One million? That was so much more than he had dared hope for. But not everything that his father wanted in return was straightforward.

 

“Father…” Otabek said quietly. “Thank you. I… I am truly grateful for your generosity,”

 

“Well then, it wouldn’t be a proper deal without a contract,” said his father, pushing himself away from his desk and walking to one of his many cabinets.

 

“But I don’t know if I can accept all of those terms,” said Otabek shakily. His father froze. “I am more than willing to make sacrifices myself. Some of the terms aren’t even sacrifices at all… before he was abducted, I was planning to propose to Yuri,”

 

His father turned slowly. Where Otabek thought he would see anger, he saw shock, and… sympathy? His father approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. They locked eyes in the silence before Otabek continued.

 

“Of course, most people bond right after they marry, what with the laws. But settling in Kazakhstan and having children is not just my decision to make. Should Yuri become my partner, I want him to be involved in the decisions as well. I can’t just uproot his life like that after such a traumatic event… If we do get married, we want to have children eventually, but not in Kazakhstan,”

 

For the first time in his life, it looked as though Otabek’s words had finally gotten through to his father. The man frowned slightly, seemingly composing himself before speaking.

 

“You want to run the business from elsewhere? Fine,” his father said evenly. “The rest of the terms are not negotiable,”

 

“Father-,” Otabek began.

 

“No! You’ve messed me about for long enough, prolonging the inevitable. You will settle down, you will have a family, and you will take over this business within the near future. It’s a lot of money I plan to give to you in exchange, and if you are unwilling to meet these terms, I will be giving you nothing,”

 

Otabek stared at his father in shock. For a moment, it seemed as though his father was going to listen to him, but as usual he did not. Otabek cursed himself, he was foolish enough to believe that his father would put the wellbeing of others before himself. He wanted to scream, to shout, to punch his father square in the jaw for being such a self-centred arse…

 

…but he needed the money. He didn’t even want to think about how long it would take for one million to be raised without his father’s help – and there was still three million left to think about.

 

His father was busying himself with drawing up a contract. He was rifling through his many cabinets for some sort of template. He waved his hand in Otabek’s general direction. “Go, think about the decision if you must. I’ll be here waiting for you,”

 

Otabek rose from his chair and exited the room. He let his legs take him through the house and down the stairs, into the kitchen. He brewed himself a coffee, his mind whirring.

 

Coffee in hand, he sat at the kitchen table tapping away at his phone, adding up all of the current donations from people they knew so far. Otabek sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. It amounted to just over half a million… true, the online site had only been live for a few hours, it could gather a lot more funds before Friday.

 

He locked his phone and downed his coffee, burning his throat. He knew he didn’t have a choice.

 

 _It’s alright._ He told himself. _I can run the business from Russia. I won’t have to force Yuri to live here. We can stay in his home country, or wherever he wants. All of this is for him._

He took a deep breath as he pushed the office door open, having reached the room far too quickly. He seated himself back at the desk, and nodded at his father. The older man smiled, handing his son a small stack of papers and a pen. Otabek took the pen in his shaky hands, reading each page of the contract carefully, and finally signing the last page.

 

*****

 

Soft light filtered its way through Yuri’s closed eyelids, causing them to flutter open. Yellow haze surrounded him as he blinked slowly and deliberately, his eyes heavy and refusing to focus. He reached up to rub at his eyes, his shoulders aching as he did so. His whole body felt cold, like his blood had turned to ice. He could feel his pulse surging through every inch of him, bounding heavily around his head and neck. Reaching down to stroke the side of his neck, he found it completely numb, but roasting hot to the touch.

 

“Yurio?” came a far-off whisper.

 

 _I’m over here._ He tried to cry. _I can’t see._

“It’s okay, they’re gone now,” the voice said.

 

_Who’s gone?_

“I’m so sorry, Yurio,”

 

_Sorry for what?_

A whine escaped his throat. He needed water, and he furiously rubbed his eyes to rid himself of the fog obscuring his vision. Still, there was only the yellow light.

 

_Are we outside in the sun?_

“I’ve tried to keep you warm, Yurio, are you warm enough?”

 

_No._

 

“I’m going to lie next to you, alright? It might help you warm up,”

 

_Please_

Warm weight pressed up against his side. He sighed slightly, before he was overwhelmed by soreness.

 

“Hurts,” he croaked.

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll move,”

 

“No,” he pleaded. “So cold,”

 

The weight sank further down next to him and snaked its way around his back. A calming floral scent enveloped him, warming his skin and making the pain ebb away. Yuri nuzzled forward into what seemed to be the source, inhaling deeply. With each breath, his vision slowly became clearer. He blinked up at large brown eyes set in a pale face, gazing down at him, brows furrowed with worry.

 

“Yuuri,” he whispered. “What happened?”

 

“Oh Yura,” the older man sighed, a delicate increase in the calming pheromones further soothing Yuri. “I was so worried, you’ve been out cold for so long,”

 

Yuri tried to cast his mind back to the moments before he must have passed out. All he could see were faces, laughing at him, his skin burning and his shoulders screaming.

 

“What I did was unforgivable, Yura,” Yuuri continued, those beautiful brown eyes shining with tears. “All I can say is that I’m sorry,”

 

Yuri sat up, each vertebrae protesting his movement fiercely. He wobbled slightly, but remained upright due to a warm hand on his back, steadying him. Yuuri shuffled himself around on the small couch, coaxing Yuri to lean up against his chest. With his ear pressed firmly against Yuuri’s torso, he could hear the anxious pounding of the older man’s heart. He snuggled in closer, inhaling the scent of the other omega.

 

“I… I don’t remember,” said Yuri quietly, pulling a soft towel around his shoulders. His head moved up as Yuuri let out a heavy sigh and hugged him tighter.

 

“Good…” he murmured. “I’m so glad you don’t… the pain… oh God, Yura…”

 

Yuuri looking him in the eye. Yuuri holding a shaking hand out to grab a metal rod. Yuuri apologising. Yuuri understanding that he just wanted it over with. Yuuri shocking him in the most intimate of places. Yuuri curled up on the floor. Yuuri pulled back up to standing as he sobbed. Yuuri ignoring the jibes of the alphas and putting his friend first.

 

It had all come flooding back.

 

Yuri’s chest constricted, and he gasped for air. His hands clutched the towel desperately as his vision begin to swim once more.

 

_His nipple_

_His balls_

_His scent gland_

A broken cry erupted from Yuri’s chest, but all he could hear was a high-pitched ringing in his ears. His hands scrambled to find anything that wasn’t moving, but nothing could stop him from falling. He reached up to claw away at whatever was tightening around his throat, but there was nothing. He choked on his tears, fighting for every single rattling breath.

 

A wave of chamomile stopped him in his panic. The scent washed over him, sinking deep into his pores and warming his blood. His throat began to relax, his chest began to expand normally. Tears ran freely down his face, but he was no longer drowning in them.

 

“Shh,” came a quiet voice. “It’s ok, Yura, I’ve got you,”

 

His body was being slowly rocked from side to side, the soothing voice bringing him back down to earth. He hiccupped and wiped the tears away from his face. His breathing steadied, and his vision stilled. He melted into the warmth beside him, wanting to absorb more of the calming scent.

 

“I’m sorry, Yura,” Yuuri murmured once more. “I’m so sorry I did that,”

 

“Not – hic – your fault,” Yuri replied. “Rather – hic – you than – hic – those bastards,”

 

The two omegas sat curled into one another, the calming scent of chamomile and honey almost sending Yuri back to sleep. They sat for what seemed like hours, Yuuri stroking the younger man’s head softly. Yuri gulped back the lump in his throat when he realised what a state he must look, battered and bruised and with his head shaved.

 

“Does it look terrible?” he asked Yuuri quietly. The omega continued to stroke his stubbly hair.

 

“No,” came the soft reply. “Just different. I’m surprised you didn’t try this for yourself ages ago, just to annoy Lilia if anything,”

 

Yuri smiled slightly at the thought of Lilia’s face if her prima ballerina turned up to practice one day with his head shaved. She had freaked out enough that one time he dyed a streak of it purple.

 

“It wouldn’t annoy her so much as give her an aneurysm,” he joked back, earning himself a gentle ruffle of his almost non-existent hair.

 

“Well, you can pull anything off, Yurio,” Yuuri assured him. “And besides, hair grows back,”

 

Yuri’s lips curled into a smile once again as he nuzzled further into the other omega’s touch. Whatever Yuuri was feeling himself, he was doing a pretty good job of hiding it. Then again, Yuri reckoned that the older man was well-versed in doing just that. He wanted to know if those alphas had done anything to hurt the other man, and needed to give him comfort if he had. However, the peace was too blissful to interrupt.

 

Of course, the alphas had to do just that. The Boss creaked the door open, stepping inside with a large loaf of bread in one hand, a bottle of water in the other. The door clicked shut behind him, but he just stood watching the omegas.

 

Yuuri’s scent had spiked, this time it appeared to be bitterer. Yuri heard the older man’s heart begin to race, and felt the muscles beneath him tense. Yuuri shifted his weight so as to block as much of Yuri from Boss’s view as possible.

 

“You must be thirsty,” the alpha said, bending down. “Here,” He rolled the water bottle towards them, and it softly thudded against the couch. Yuuri bent down slowly to retrieve it, never shifting his gaze from the alpha. He handed it straight to Yuri behind him, who gulped down half of the bottle before returning it to the older omega. Yuuri took a few sips and then placed the bottle down by his feet.

 

“And hungry,” the alpha continued, extending the arm which held the bread. He looked expectantly at Yuuri, who rose slowly and wearily from the couch. As he took one step towards the alpha, he dropped the loaf onto the floor, still looking at Yuuri with his eyebrows arched expectantly. Yuuri moved to take another step.

 

“Ah-ah,” scolded the alpha. “On your hands and knees,”

 

Although Yuri couldn’t make out the Japanese man’s facial expressions, he saw his fists clenched. He worried that Yuuri might defy the alpha for a moment, but then he slowly got down on his hands and knees and began to crawl towards the alpha’s feet, his vision now cast down at the ground. Soon enough, he could reach out and take the bread, but a large foot came down onto his wrist. Yuuri hissed in pain, withdrawing his arm. The alpha leant down to whisper in Yuuri’s ear, and his scent spiked once more.

 

Yuuri leant down, his jaw wide open. The loaf was smooth and rounded and he struggled to sink his teeth into it. All the while, the alpha was watching him with a sadistic smirk, the scent of an aroused alpha overpowering Yuuri’s omega scent. Yuuri lifted his head, the bread now firmly lodged in his mouth, and he turned to scurry back towards the sofa.

 

A crack echoed through the room as the alpha slapped Yuuri’s ass, causing the omega to hurry back towards the couch even faster. He ripped off the chunk of bread in his mouth, and handed the rest to Yuri, who split the remainder as evenly as he could. As Yuri moved to hand one share of the bread to the omega still on the floor, he kept his eyes on the alpha, who was watching them hungrily. Yuuri took his half and stood, turning to sit back down on the couch.

 

“Come here, Yuuri,” the alpha cooed, pointing down at the ground by his feet. Yuuri took a defiant bite from his piece of bread, chewing and swallowing it very slowly. He repeated the action, glaring at the alpha the whole time.

 

“Oh, you’re a naughty boy,” the alpha smirked, but still Yuuri kept up his defiance. Once about half of his share was gone, he placed it down on the arm of the couch, and pulled his legs up to sit curled up beside Yuri.

 

“Come here, now,” the alpha said, sterner this time. Yuri saw the other omega glance at him momentarily, before rising and standing tall, refusing to be further humiliated.

 

“On your hands and knees,” Boss commanded. Yuuri obliged, but still held a dignified air about him.

 

 _You cannot control me._ His scent was saying.

 

“Now,” Boss smiled. “Come. Here.”

 

Yuuri crawled on his hands and knees towards the towering figure. Yuri sat lock-limbed on the couch, terrified of what might happen next. The alpha was chewing his bottom lip slightly as he watched the omega crawl towards him. Yuri held his breath when the older omega came to a stop, inches away from the alpha.

 

“Good boy,” Boss murmured. “Now, sit,”

 

Yuri nearly gagged on how sour Yuuri’s scent suddenly became. He watched as the older omega hesitated, and then slowly folded his legs beneath him to kneel in front of the alpha. He straightened his back, and tilted his head up to lock eyes with Boss, who crouched down to meet Yuuri’s height.

 

“What a good omega,” Boss whispered, stroking his index finger gently down Yuuri’s cheek. “Well done my love, I’m so proud of you,”

 

Yuri could hear his heart hammering in his chest. Surely any minute now the alpha was going to snap. Yuuri’s scent was once again eliminated by the much more pungent alpha scent, this time even more aroused.

 

“We’re going to have so much more fun soon, my love,” Boss whispered into Yuuri’s ear, before pulling back to plant a kiss on the omega’s temple. “Sleep well,”

 

Yuuri remained kneeling in the middle of the room long after the alpha had left. Eventually, Yuri slid off the couch and approached the other omega, who was staring blankly at the floor. He wrapped an arm around the older man’s shoulders and encouraged him to stand, and led him back towards the couch. When Yuuri was seated, the blonde wrapped a thick towel around his shoulders and offered him water, which the older man silently took.

 

After several large mouthfuls, Yuuri placed the water bottle back onto the floor and wrapped his arms around his torso. Yuri coaxed him to lie across the sofa with his head in the blondes’ lap, and played gently with his hair until Yuuri had drifted off to sleep.

 

 _What was that all about?_ Yuri asked himself. _Can he somehow control Yuuri? Why was he so unresponsive once Boss had left the room?_

Yuri leaned his aching neck against the cushions, breathing deeply. Whatever was planned next for them, it was sure to be worse… he tried to block such thoughts from his mind.

 

_I’m not leaving you here with these monsters, Katsudon. Whatever happens, we are in this together._


	12. Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING  
> Rape / Non-con

Yuuri woke with a start, flinging himself off of the couch. His body crumpled to the ground, the cold floor meeting his bare skin, causing him to gasp loudly. He hadn’t yet registered where he was, and he pulled himself up on all fours to scan the room.

 

“Katsudon..?” came a worried voice behind him. He turned his bulging eyes to see Yuri crouched down with him on the ground, his brows knitted together with worry. “Are you alright?”

 

Yuuri’s chest heaved as he recalled where he was. He gulped down his worry and tried to neutralise his face. “Yeah… yeah, just a bad dream,”

 

Yuri held out his hand to help the older omega up. “An actual dream? Or are you referring to the nightmare we’re currently living through?”

 

In response, Yuuri just took the blonde’s hand and hauled himself up off the floor. Surprisingly, he had not dreamt at all, which was unusual when he was stressed. He stretched his aching limbs and rolled his neck, the popping of each vertebrae somewhat therapeutic. Yuri still looked concerned and had not let go of the older man, despite him being back on his feet.

 

“I’m just gonna…” he mumbled, trailing off as he made his way to the bathroom. Yuri reluctantly let him go, his own hand falling limply to his side.

 

Yuuri sat on the cold porcelain, his head in his hands, massaging his temples slightly. He felt dehydrated, which was probably true, but he also felt something more than that. Eventually he returned to the couch, which was empty. He found that Yuri was pacing around the room, wringing his hands and chewing his lips. The blonde jumped slightly when he saw Yuuri staring at him.

 

“Y-Yuuri,” he stammered. “Is everything alright?”

 

The Japanese man forced a weak smile. “Yes, don’t worry. How are you?”

 

Yuri continued to worry his bottom lip between his teeth. “Well, ah… to be honest… I’m terrified,”

 

“Of course you are,” Yuuri breathed, making his way back towards the couch. He beckoned for Yuri to join him. “You’d be a fool not to be,”

 

Yuri tucked his legs under him once he was on the couch, tilting his head down to rest on Yuuri’s shoulder. The older omega could feel the blonde’s weight sink deeper into him with each inhale. Thank God his scent was useful for one thing in their situation.

 

“I’m scared too, Yurio,” he whispered, his thumb absentmindedly stroking down the young man’s bare shoulder. “I…I’m sorry if I worried you before, I just…”

 

Yuuri didn’t know where to begin, how to explain. It was something he’d never experienced before. He was well aware of how alphas could use their pheromones to influence the actions of an omega – experience and research had told him as much. But this was something different.

 

“It was like my mind wasn’t my own anymore,” he started, his thumb now tapping away anxiously on Yuri’s shoulder. “He was… argh I don’t know… but he was telling me to do those things, and I did them out of my own volition, but I almost didn’t,”

 

“Katsudon,” Yuri whispered. “Your scent, at one point… I know the scent of an omega in distress, or pain, or whatever. But I’ve never heard of anything like the scent you were giving off when… _he_ was last in here,”

 

Yuuri’s leg began to bounce as he replayed the scenario once again. Crawling on his hands and knees was humiliating, yes – but the moment Boss touched him, something switched. Rage flooded over him, and he found himself glaring defiantly at the alpha whilst refusing to obey the man’s commands. Eventually he followed them through, only because he didn’t want to risk Yuri getting hurt again. He forced his body to push through the last remaining barrier of his scent blockers, sending out a silent message to the alpha.

 

_You cannot control me._

Pride welled up in his chest, a slight grin forming on his downcast face. He had crawled to the alpha’s feet, yet refused to feel degraded. The only real control that the Boss had over him was his threats to Yuri.

 

That’s when Boss proved Yuuri wrong. The all too familiar scent of peppermint washed over him, willing him to bear his neck and submit. It was then that he realised that no alpha should be able to influence a bonded omega in such a way. He panicked, and his scent glands began to throb. The alpha was getting into his mind, forcing the omega to submit to him. Yuuri’s arms trembled as he desperately attempted to block out the alpha’s scent. He vaguely heard a command from the Boss, and before he knew it he was knelt on the cold ground. Yuuri concentrated hard on shutting down everything in his mind, making himself impenetrable to the alpha, who was worming his way in and beginning to have too much influence over Yuuri for him to deny.

 

His vision was hazy and his senses numb. His forehead burned momentarily, and then he was left in the emptiness.

 

And then he’d woken up, crashing to the ground.

 

Yuuri sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t explain, Yura… I don’t know what happened, but it was like he nearly got into me. Like if he’d gotten in any further, I wouldn’t have had any choice in anything,”

 

Yuri stared at him, his eyes wide and shimmering with confusion mixed with fear.

 

“I think I pushed my body too far…” the older omega continued. “I forced my scent out past the blockers, and then had to work so hard to block his scent from influencing me,”

 

Brown eyes stared at the floor, pondering what could have been if his omega side hadn’t reacted so quickly. He squeezed Yuri tight, frightened by the thought.

 

“You were like…” Yuri struggled. “Unresponsive I guess? You followed me to the couch and had a drink and then fell asleep… but it was like you were just an empty shell,”

 

Silence fell on them, both omegas lost in thought. Yuuri wracked his brains, rifling through all of his knowledge about his secondary gender. His stomach twisted when one theory bubbled up to the surface of his mind.

 

“Yura?” he asked, his eyes not leaving their spot on the floor. “Do you believe in True Mates?”

 

“What?” asked the younger man. “No, of course not,”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Well… like, people are always convinced that they have found their true mate once they’ve fallen in love, right? Or their soulmate or whatever. And then they bond and it’s all great and they live happily ever after. Bonded individuals basically cannot touch another person with like… intimate intent or something without causing pain. So basically their marriages never break down and the concept of true mates is just perpetuated. But… so many people find their soulmate or their one true love – whatever you want to call it – in someone that they would have met anyway. Someone who happened to live in the same town as them, work for the same company, compete in the same high level athletics competitions…”

 

Yuuri laughed slightly. “Me and Victor you mean?”

 

“And me and Beka!” Yuri retorted. “My point is… it was inevitable that I would meet Beka eventually, same goes for you and Victor. You two are disgustingly happy together, but that doesn’t mean that either of you wouldn’t have been just as happy with somebody else,”

 

Yuuri let the young man’s words sink in. He had a point… what if Yuuri had never gone skating, had never known who Victor Nikiforov was? Would fate have brought them together regardless? Or was it fate that Yuuri set foot on the ice in the first place?

 

“I’ve just… heard things,” Yuuri explained. “Like if a couple are true mates they will have influence over one another regardless of any pre-existing bonding status,”

 

“You think that you and the Boss are true mates?” Yuri asked, aghast.

 

“That’s… what I’m scared of,”

 

“Yuuri, if that were true, then you would have influence over him also. But… from what I’ve seen, you don’t,”

 

Yuuri’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re right!” he beamed, turning to smile at the blonde. “Oh my God, you’re right!”

 

“Of course I’m right, I’m always right!” said the blonde, returning the smile and ruffling Yuuri’s hair. “Listen, unfortunately for us, I think this guy is just one hell of a powerful alpha, and if he can do something like that to you…”

 

Yuri did not need to finish his sentence. The two omegas fell quiet once again, neither of them wanting to think about what the alpha might be able to force Yuri to do.

 

“I wish me and Beka were bonded already,” he whispered, hugging his knees into his chest. “He’s too freaking patient with me,”

 

Yuuri reached up to stroke the younger man’s hair. “Does he know that you feel that way?”

 

Yuri hugged his legs closer to him. “No, I guess not. I’ve never liked talking about being omega. It’s always awkward to ask him to help me during a heat. I asked if would like me to help his rut once and he just shot me down,”

 

“I think he’s just uncomfortable with being an alpha,” Yuuri sighed.

 

“How can someone be uncomfortable with that?” Yuri replied, his voice breaking. “He doesn’t know how lucky he is,”

 

Yuuri pulled the blonde in for a hug, releasing soothing pheromones. “The only lucky ones are betas, they get to stay clear of all this kind of mess. If it’s important to you Yura, then tell him. Bonding is a big decision to make, but if it means a lot to you then I’m sure he will listen,”

 

“I…” Yuri croaked. “I don’t think I’m going to leave here unbonded,”

 

The small omega was crying now, tears streaming silently down his face. He looked so vulnerable in that moment, that it almost made Yuuri angry – these people and their mind games were quickly breaking the young man down.

 

“These alphas are disgusting Yurio, but they’re clever,” Yuuri murmured, still trying to soothe the younger omega in his arms. “They will be traceable via that bond. And also if they’re going to keep their word of releasing you on Friday, then they literally will not have time to bond you,”

 

He felt Yuri sigh heavily. He wasn’t sure what else he could say to try and reassure the omega, so he hoped that his logic would get through to him.

 

“So it’s true then?” Yuri asked, his voice muffled by his knees. “What they say about bonding?”

 

Yuuri was often surprised by how little the young man knew about his secondary gender. ‘Ignorance is bliss’ seemed to be the words that Yuri lived by.

 

“Yes, the alpha goes into a rut and the omega into a heat, it usually lasts at least a week,”

 

“What the fuck,” whispered Yuri. “That’s crazy! How do they survive it?”

 

“Like normal heats and ruts, they experience breaks from the haze in which they can look after themselves,” Yuuri explained gently. “But the recovery period is pretty long. That’s why mine and Victor’s honeymoon was 3 weeks long,”

 

“Gross, I don’t wanna hear about that!”

 

“Well you asked for my worldly omega wisdom on the matter!”

 

“I didn’t expect you to go into details about you and your sappy husband!”

 

They playfully bickered back and forth, a reprieve from the nightmare they were in. Eventually their giggles tapered off and they were plunged once again into uncomfortable silence. Worry coiled low in Yuuri’s belly, causing his leg to once again bounce nervously on the floor. He tried so hard not to think about the fact that he would never see Victor again.

 

Victor. The man he had loved since before he even knew how to love. The man who had no idea that Yuuri even existed until he drunkenly pounced on him at a banquet, who had no idea that Yuuri had been waiting his entire life to make a memorable first impression on his idol and crush Victor Nikiforov. Well, that wasn’t exactly how he’d planned to go about it, but it had worked regardless. He ached for Victor’s touch, to feel his smooth skin up against his own, to feel his silky silver hair tickle his cheek as they lazily kissed in the mornings, to feel his warm slender hands caressing his waist, a hint of cold where his wedding ring sat.

 

_Oh my God, my ring._

Panic spread through Yuuri’s body. His heart sank and his throat constricted, he stared at his hands in disbelief. It really wasn’t there. He felt naked without it, and as if his foundations had been ripped from beneath him. His body began to tremble and tears cascaded down his face.

 

_They are trying to break us._

Yuuri wasn’t counting the days, but if his timeline was anything to go by, they were only halfway through their ordeal. If this carried on, he would be leaving here as a fraction of his former self.

 

_If I get out at all._

A pale hand covered his own, the fingers interlacing. Yuri pulled him away from his thoughts and hugged him close.

 

“You’ll get it back, Katsudon,” the younger man said. “I’ll make sure of it,”

 

_You can’t promise that._ Yuuri wanted to say. _No more than I can promise your safety, although I so want to._

The door creaked open, and there he stood. The man who had taken everything from Yuuri, stripped him of his dignity, endangered his friend.

 

“You bastard!” Yuuri shrieked, launching himself from the couch. Luckily this came as a surprise to the alpha, who hadn’t had time to react before Yuuri was slamming into him, pinning the taller male up against the wall. “Where is it? I know you took it, give it back!” Yuuri demanded, kneeing Boss in the belly over and over, until he was wrenched away by the hair.

 

Yuuri lay thrashing on the ground, still filled with rage that he wanted to take out on Boss. The omega snarled and cursed and spat in the alpha’s direction, whilst the other two cronies dragged him by the arms towards the restraints. Yuuri did not stop fighting whilst they chained him up, practically foaming at the mouth with anger. The bar was still at the same height as it had been for Yuri previously, but Yuuri could touch the ground comfortably. Boss slithered towards him as the other two men retreated, silent and brooding. Yuuri could then hear the younger omega fighting off the other two alphas, and that just make him fight against the chains harder. He knew it was futile, he knew it would just serve to exhaust him, but anger had descended on him and there was nowhere else for it to go.

 

“Yuuri~” Boss cooed, only a foot away from the deranged omega now. “Stop struggling,”

 

Once again, the pheromones attacked him, snaking into his brain and sending him even more delirious. Yuuri pumped out his own scent in response, trying to drown out the alpha pheromones as well as block their effect on him. Whether it was the silent command or his own body beginning to fatigue, he couldn’t tell, but his arms grew limp and his legs heavy. He stood with his arms suspended, chest heaving violently. He looked up at the alpha towering above him, and spat at his feet.

 

“Give… it… back...” Yuuri demanded through his ragged breaths.

 

“Oh Yuuri,” Boss sighed, stroking the omegas cheek. “You don’t need that now! Don’t you see? With that, you’ll never move on,”

 

Yuuri panted, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. “They’ll get us, they’ll pay the ransom. And we’ll be away from you and your fellow psychos,”

 

“Maybe so,” Boss whispered, his breath warm on Yuuri’s face. “But just maybe you’ll want to stay,”

 

The alpha tilted Yuuri’s chin up and kissed him gently. Yuuri kept his lips clamped shut, completely unreceptive to the touch. Boss moved the kisses away from Yuuri’s lips and trailed them down his jawline instead, passing by the earlobe with a gentle nip before carrying on down Yuuri’s neck. There he inhaled the omegas scent where it was strongest, and ran his tongue across the gland.

 

Large hands caressed down Yuuri’s chest, thumbs pressing gently down on his nipples, rubbing in tiny circles. Yuuri felt slightly smug when he saw that they remained flat, once again not responding to the alpha’s ministrations. But Boss kept going, kissing him breathily and stroking down his hips and thighs. He hooked his thumbs around the elastic of Yuuri’s boxers and shimmied them down, the black fabric pooling on the floor by his feet.

 

“I can make you feel so good, baby,” Boss murmured, sliding a hand down to cup one of Yuuri’s cheeks. He kneaded the omega’s butt and thighs, continuing to trail kisses down his body. “I promise,”

 

Yuuri remained motionless in response, but couldn’t help a small gasp escaping his lips when the alpha’s finger began to stroke between his cheeks. Boss used the opportunity to take Yuuri’s lips in a kiss, nipping gently at his bottom lip before darting his tongue into the omega’s mouth. The finger withdrew whilst the alpha reached in his pocket, and when it returned it was cold and slick.

 

Yuuri’s breath hitched when the alpha pushed a lubed finger into him, slowly and teasingly. It wasn’t long before another finger joined in, but Yuuri remained unaroused. However, the alpha was not perturbed, and continued to work his fingers in, rubbing against the omega’s prostate. Yuuri was still not at all aroused, only thankful that he was getting stretched sufficiently – the pain of sleeping with another alpha was enough, he didn’t need anything else on top of that.

 

The alpha’s clothed erection was pressed up against Yuuri’s stomach as the assault continued. Yuuri bit back a moan when the two fingers were pulled out of him, but then he was overcome with dread at what might happen next. Boss released Yuuri’s mouth, panting, his pupils blown wide with lust. He reached back down into his pocket.

 

Yuuri averted his eyes and held his breath. The alpha remained stood in front of him, and something wet and blunt pressed against his entrance.

 

“Mff… please don’t,” he said quietly, clenching his cheeks together to stop anything else from entering him.

 

“Shh, trust me baby, it’s going to feel amazing,” Boss whispered down his ear, pushing the round object in slightly too firmly, making Yuuri choke out a gasp.

 

“No…” Yuuri wailed as the object slipped inside of him. His face burned with humiliation, red with the strain of trying to stop his body from responding.

 

But his body was beginning to betray him. His walls clenched around the object and his cock twitched slightly. He clamped his bottom lip between his teeth to stifle a whine.

 

The alpha began to kiss down Yuuri’s neck once again, and he kept descending until he was on his knees, his face directly in front of Yuuri’s crotch.

 

“You’re so beautiful,” Boss whispered, caressing Yuuri’s inner thighs. He began to kiss between Yuuri’s legs, seemingly worshiping every curve and dimple and stretch mark. His mouth reached the base of Yuuri’s cock, and began to kiss the sensitive area. Yuuri squirmed away from it, but the alpha merely gripped onto his naked thighs to make him be still.

 

Boss began to lick Yuuri’s cock now, trailing his tongue all the way down the shaft and then back again. Yuuri concentrated on not allowing himself to get hard, and it was working.

 

Until the vibrations started.

 

Yuuri yelped in surprise when he heard a small click, and then the object inside of him began buzzing lightly against his prostate. He glanced down to see the alpha with a small remote in his hands, his head tilted up so as to see Yuuri’s reaction. Boss began to pulse the vibrations, and Yuuri wriggled his legs and pulled at his chains in a futile effort to control his body’s arousal.

 

The vibrations stopped, and Yuuri was now semi-hard. His breathing had become irregular, but he refused to cry. Boss took Yuuri’s length in one go, and the omega stifled a moan when his tip pushed up against the alpha’s hot throat. Boss bobbed his head over Yuuri’s cock, flicking his tongue around the head, sucking slightly when the whole thing was in his mouth.

 

Hate spread like a fire throughout Yuuri’s body. He felt so humiliated, he did not want this, yet his body was going against his wishes. He cried out as the vibrations began again, pulsing slowly and delicately. The alpha did not relent Yuuri’s cock, working his mouth around it whilst the vibrations assisted in engorging the omega’s dick even further.

 

“Please stop,” Yuuri begged as the vibrations remained constant now, but getting stronger by the second. This only seemed to spur Boss on, who hooked one of Yuuri’s legs over his shoulder by the knee, and wrapping a hand around Yuuri’s shaft whilst his tongue swirled around the head.

 

After what felt like an eternity, Yuuri cried out in humiliated pleasure as he came down the alpha’s throat. He sobbed as Boss continued to suck, milking every last drop. Yuuri groaned in relief when the alpha removed his mouth, staring up at Yuuri’s sweaty face. However he did not stop the vibrations, just stood up to kiss Yuuri longingly on the mouth, pressing his groin up against the omegas.  

 

The whole ordeal had not been painful, to Yuuri’s surprise. It had been uncomfortable, like an ache rather than a burn. Tears rolled down his cheeks as the alpha kissed him, both from the overstimulation and from the shame. He hadn’t wanted it, but his body had done him wrong, reacted in a way that he only ever wanted with Victor.

 

“You taste so good, my love,” the alpha purred, rocking his hips into Yuuri’s. “I told you I could make you feel good. I want you to know that,”

 

The vibrations stopped, and Yuuri sighed in relief, his head dropping down as his previously tense muscles gave out. A burning kiss was planted on his forehead.

 

“You’re so stunning,” Boss said, a hint of a growl in his voice. “I can’t wait to make love to you. But there is no rush,”

 

Shivers ran down Yuuri’s spine as the alpha pulled his boxers back up, his fingers lingering around the waistband. He pulled the omegas hips up to his and began to grind his erection against him. Tears escaped from Yuuri’s closed eyes, his limp body aching from the restraints and burning from the alphas touch. Boss tilted Yuuri’s chin up and kissed him gently, before pulling away completely to stand a few feet away, drinking in the sight of Yuuri’s nearly naked body.

 

They locked eyes for a moment, and even at a distance Yuuri could see the arousal in the alphas eyes. He watched as the alpha wandered back over to the couch, never breaking his eye contact with Yuuri. There sat Yuri wedged in between the two other alphas, his face contorted with rage.

 

“Get away from him!” Yuuri cried. “Please, please don’t do anything to him!”

 

But Boss ignored him, turning his full attention to the younger omega. He jerked his head towards the door and the other alphas stood and left. Yuri sat motionless but seething, unintimidated by the man towering over him.

 

“Get up,” Boss commanded, and Yuri obeyed. The omegas face began to turn from angry to fearful.

 

“Don’t let him in, Yurio!” Yuuri cried, watching the horror unfold. But Yuri didn’t seem to hear him, his eyes remained locked on the alpha as if hypnotised. The alpha took Yuri by the hand and pulled him towards Yuuri. Boss stood behind the blonde, a hand on either shoulder.

 

“You see what I did to your friend?” the alpha whispered, and Yuri nodded in response. “You want me to do the same to you?”

 

Yuri’s eyes widened in fear, and he shook his head.

 

“You want to do that to me?” Boss asked, a hint of a growl in his quiet voice. Yuri began to tremble, but again shook his head no. “Okay then, we won’t do either of those things,”

 

Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief as the alpha steered Yuri back to the couch, remaining behind him all the way. A foot away from the couch, they stopped. Boss leant down once again to speak into Yuri’s ear, a command that Yuuri couldn’t make out.

 

Then Yuri moved his hands to his hips, pushing his boxers down slowly. The fabric fell to his feet and he stepped out of it, standing naked in front of the lustful alpha, who pushed the omega’s head down.

 

“Be a good omega and bend over,” Boss growled, stripping out of his own clothes. Yuri placed shaky hands down on the cushions, his back stiff as a board. The alpha smacked him across the ass, and Yuri’s yelp echoed through the room. He arched his back more, his face red with embarrassment.

 

“Please don’t,” he whined as the alpha pushed one thumb between the omega’s cheeks, rubbing is hole whilst the other hand covered his large erection in lube. “Please, please,”

 

Another smack echoed through the room, accompanied by a surge of pheromones. Yuri pressed his head against the back cushions of the sofa, wet patches appearing beneath his eyes, his tears staining the fabric.

 

“Stop it!” screamed Yuuri as the alpha lined his cock up to Yuri’s entrance. “Stop it, you monster!”

 

Boss turned to face the restrained omega, winked, and then thrust his hips forward.

 

Screams pierced Yuuri’s eardrums as Yuri was assaulted. A cacophony of noise reverberated through the room; Yuri screaming and sobbing in pain, repeated slaps of skin on skin, Yuuri begging the alpha to stop.

 

The alpha was grunting as he thrust his cock in and out of the omega at a rapid pace, and Yuuri’s heart broke to see it covered in blood. He watched mournfully as Yuri was raped, the smaller omega’s screams having died down into whimpers. It wasn’t long before Boss pulled Yuri up by the neck, his hips stuttering into him one last time. Boss turned and seated himself on the couch, Yuri’s legs still straddling his crotch. A yelp escaped Yuri’s lips when he tried to pull away, but was locked to the alpha by his knot.

 

The blonde collapsed backwards onto the alpha, his chest heaving with every breath and his body shaking with sobs. Yuuri cried at the sight, pulling against his restraints again. Boss turned his attention to the older omega, and winked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh jeez guys I'm sorry.   
> Seriously, feel like this chapter is very heavy and not only did I not write it well, but I planned for another split chapter but could not for the life of me write something else. This has been sat waiting for like a whole week and everything else I've written has just been terrible and been deleted.   
> Life's been pretty shit atm for me so I'm hoping that soon I'll be pulled out of this slump and can write more and do my story justice <3


	13. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it! 
> 
> I've seen several comments regarding the pacing / ending of this fic.   
> I didn't anticipate the plot to move along this slowly - this is my first ever fic so it's been quite difficult to get in all the details I want whilst also moving the story along.   
> THERE WILL BE RECOVERY. Obviously this is quite an intense fic both to read and to write, and it would feel wrong to not have full closure on everything our boys have been though!   
> Thank you all for your comments, I hope that clears things up a little but of course any other questions do let me know <3
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> Rape, non-con, physical abuse

Yuri’s body was screaming at him, his legs trembling and his chest heaving. His head pounded as he warred with his inner omega, trying desperately to block out the alpha. The invasive commands had died down since the alpha forced his knot inside, the larger man seemingly sated by his assault of Yuri.

 

As he came round to his senses, he could hear Yuuri wailing and screaming his name, his scent turned sour by anger and worry. But all he could do was sit there, locked against the alpha, his skin burning and prickling with sweat. His ragged breath stilled for a moment as he felt a wet trickle down his inner thigh, a sign that the knot was deflating. However, before it was fully retracted, the alpha pulled Yuri away from him and threw him unceremoniously onto the couch. The pain was unbearable, but Yuri’s weak voice broke before he could scream, a strangled whine emerging from his throat instead. His thighs were hot and sticky, and he dared not look down at how much blood there would inevitably be. He hauled himself round onto his back, staring up at the ceiling whilst tears rolled down his cheeks. Over his heavy breathing he heard Yuuri’s sobs, he craned his neck around to see the naked alpha prowling toward the black-haired omega. But Yuuri’s face was trained on him, creased with worry and shining with tears. Their eyes locked as the alpha began to undo the restraints, Yuuri’s free hand now reaching towards him. Yuri’s arm felt heavy yet unattached as he reached out, the two omegas stretching out in a futile attempt to comfort one another.

 

All too soon, Yuuri was folded over the alpha’s shoulder and was being carried out of the room. The Japanese omega writhed against Boss’ grip in an attempt to reach Yuri, but the alpha’s grip was firm and unrelenting, and they both disappeared around the doorframe.

 

Hyper-aware of how dirty he felt, Yuri attempted to roll off the couch to go to the bathroom. His legs crumpled beneath him instantly, and his body thudded heavily against the floor.  Agonisingly, he began to drag himself along the floor towards the bathroom, his muscles protesting each movement. He could still feel the blood running hot down his thighs, painting them vivid red and leaving a sticky trail behind him. Yuri ached to scrub himself clean, to wash away the scent of the alpha that was clinging to his skin. Every inch he dragged his body felt like a marathon, but he needed to get away from the heavy air in that room, and cleanse himself of the experience.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” came a German voice from above him. A foot appeared in front of Yuri, but he still crawled forward, batting the leg away from him. The alpha watched him drag his limp body to the bathroom, the pace agonisingly slow. Yuri heard mutters behind him as he carried on, ignoring the taunting voices. He hissed when his chest met the cold tile floor of the bathroom, and he slid across the floor to the bathtub, heaving himself up by grabbing onto the sides.

 

He could smell that the alphas had followed him in by their scent, but he just turned on the taps and hauled himself into the bathtub.

 

The water was freezing, but he didn’t care. He lay back, letting the water run onto his legs and pool at his back. Blood was seeping into the water and mingling with the clear liquid, tinging the base of the tub pink. Yuri whined as the cool water lapped against his abused body, drawing away the sticky mixture of cum and blood. Eventually the water began to run warm, and Yuri pushed his mind past the excruciating ache in his muscles to scrub at himself vigorously. A quick glance around revealed that there was no soap, so he began to scratch at his skin with his nails, trying desperately to claw the scent off. Once again he heard the two alphas chuckle darkly, but he paid them no mind as he cupped his hands beneath the taps, splashing water over his body and rubbing the clean liquid against his skin with a fury.

 

Blood smeared across his legs as he attempted to wash the red away, a vivid trail spiralling down the drain. Yuri clamped his bottom lip between his teeth as he began to wash between his cheeks, the water stinging the fresh wounds. It was then he noticed that the alphas were stood beside the tub, looming above him. Russian crouched down as fresh tears began to spill down Yuri’s face, his movements becoming even more hurried.

 

“What are you doing, little one?” the alpha mocked. “You’ll just have to do this again when we’re done with you,”

 

Yuri clenched his teeth and looked into the alpha’s eyes. “Fuck you,” he spat.

 

“Glad we’re on the same page,” sneered German. The alpha looked hungrily at Yuri for a moment, before wrapping his arms around the blonde’s torso and dragging him out of the bath.

 

Yuri didn’t even try to fight. His body felt numb as he was carried back into the room, the metallic scent of his own blood making him feel nauseous. The alpha dumped him onto the ground, kicking him over for good measure. Yuri lay on the floor, still dripping wet from the shower and shivering.

 

“Tsk, Boss took all the fun,” said Russian, pushing Yuri onto his stomach with his foot. Large hands groped at his thighs, sliding up his wet flesh towards his ass.

 

Panic hit Yuri like a train when the alpha forced his thighs apart. He staggered upwards, desperate to escape another assault. But he was pulled back down onto the floor. He rolled onto his back and began to lash out his arms and legs, trying to fight the alpha away.

 

“Ugh, why did you cut his hair?” Russian complained, nails digging into Yuri’s scalp. “Nothing to grip onto now,”

 

“Don’t blame me for that bullshit,” German retorted, pinning Yuri’s waist to the ground. Yuri reached up to gouge the man’s face, but the other alpha seized his wrists and pinned them to the ground above his head.

 

Yuri’s breathing had once again become erratic, the stench of the two alphas sending his mind into overdrive. He thrashed his body below them, but German gripped Yuri’s knees and thrust them up to his chest.

 

There was a pause. Yuri watched in horror as the alpha stared down at his nakedness, a growl emerging from his throat. German slid one hand down Yuri’s thigh, brushing his thumb over Yuri’s hole which was still oozing with blood.

 

The omega’s body fell limp. No matter how hard he tried, he was not going to escape whatever was coming to him. The fight drained from his body as he felt the alpha’s fingers breach him.

 

His throat ached as fresh sobs escaped his lips, pain and humiliation crashing over him in unrelenting waves. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on positive thoughts, his last resort in trying to block the alphas out.

 

_I am Russia’s top figure skater._

Pitiful cries escaped his throat as he was penetrated once again.

 

_I am an Olympic silver medallist._

Scratches were forming on his back as he lay on the floor, his body jerking as the alpha set a painfully fast pace.

 

_Otabek loves me, and I love him, and I’m going to get out of here and tell him that every day._

His body went into a spasm as the alpha withdrew and flipped him onto his front, before continuing in his assault.

 

_I’ll overcome this, smash this season and then spend time with Grandpa._

Thick fingers forced his jaw open and his head was pulled towards the other alpha’s naked crotch.

 

_We’ll go fishing, build snowmen and bake all day, just like when I was a child._

Yuri gagged as the alpha’s erection was forced down his throat.

 

_Victor and Yuuri can come visit Moscow, I’ll show them everything. Where I grew up, where I first skated. I’ll ask Beka to be mine forever, if he still wants me after this._

 

Yuri sat by the toilet, his shaking arms wrapped around the cold porcelain as he heaved into the bowl. He couldn’t really remember when the alphas had gone, only that it took far too long. His head was spinning as more bile bubbled at the back of his throat.  He spat into the water, staring down at his warped reflection. He felt disgusting, dirty and used. At some point during the ordeal, he had managed to convince himself that Otabek would still love him. But how could he want him now when he was so tainted? Otabek could have anyone, he deserved someone much better than Yuri.

 

 _He won’t think that._ Yuri told himself. _This isn’t your fault._

His body shook violently as another wave of nausea rose to the surface. His sweaty forehead peeled away from the toilet seat as he keeled over. He heard a damp thud as his body hit the floor, and then he blacked out.

 

 

“Wake up! WAKE UP!” Yuri was startled awake by a booming voice. He turned to see that the alphas had returned, one of them knelt on the ground and shaking his pale frame. “Get up bitch, you’ve got a job to do,”

 

Yuri curled in on himself, wrapping his arms over his head to block out the noise. Everything overwhelmed him – the deep cold that had set into his body, the pain shooting down his lower half, the stench and sound of the two angry alphas. One of the large men gripped his upper arm and began to drag him out of the bathroom.

 

 _I can’t handle that again._ He thought blearily. _I’ll surely die if they do that again._

His consciousness began to falter as he was lifted to sit on a chair. As he began to topple over, a hand cracked across his face, jolting him back to alertness. He stared down at two alphas… no, one alpha... kneeling before him. Yuri tried to focus his eyes on the man’s face, but his vision was swimming. He could vaguely see the man’s lips moving, but all he could hear was a high-pitched ringing. A piece of paper was handed to him, and he couldn’t feel his arm moving, but saw that he reached out to take it.

 

The alpha moved, leaving Yuri staring blankly at the floor. His gaze followed three black poles upwards, until his eyes fell on a camera a few feet away from him.

 

“For God’s sake, read it!” someone screamed from next to him. Yuri looked down at the paper and saw that it was covered in writing.

 

His mind seemed to float above him, his instincts leaving him to dissociate from the situation. He did not try to correct this, thinking that it would be much easier to let his mind drift away and for his body to remain an empty shell.

 

Yuri sounded out the words on the paper, his speech slurred and accent thicker than normal. His eyes never left the paper in his lap.

 

 _Something about trains?_ He wondered, before the question drifted away. He reached the end of the script, and his jaw was thrust upwards by an alpha’s hand. Yuri stared down the lens of the camera, a bulging reflection of his face staring straight back at him. _I look like shit._

The camera was taken away and he was left staring into the middle distance. Something wet touched his lips and then began to flow down his face, rivulets of water trickling down his body. He opened his mouth slightly and felt the water rush in, his reflexes kicking in to swallow before he could register what was happening. As before, the alpha forced the water into his mouth before exiting the room, the slam of the door reverberating through Yuri’s ears. And then he was alone.

 

Yuri remained sitting on the chair for an age, before his legs took him towards the couch. He collapsed down on it and curled himself up into a ball, letting exhaustion take over once again.

 

 ****

 

“Victor!” said Chris, firm yet sympathetic. “I told you to stop watching this crap!”

 

Victor had sat on the edge of Chris’ hotel bed as the other alpha had gone for a shower. He had turned on the television to find the English-speaking 24 hour news channel. For the past thirty minutes a debate had been raging between an omega rights lawyer and an alpha rights activist. It had mostly consisted of the angry activist shouting down the lawyer, spewing nonsense that “this is a prime example of why omegas should remain in the house looking after the children”.

 

Nonsense that an alarming proportion of the public seemed to agree with.

 

The neutral presenter occasionally interjected with emails or tweets from viewers. Most of them said things like “Finally someone is telling it how it is!” or “Those two omegas knew the danger they were in, it’s nobody’s fault but their own!”

 

Victor admired the lawyer, a middle-aged woman who patiently waited for her turn to respond as the red-faced man beside her sounded off about his personal beliefs.

 

The TV screen turned black, Chris having turned it off so that Victor would listen to him.

 

“Come on,” he said, laying clothes down on the bed. “Get dressed, we’re going out,”

 

“Out?” asked Victor, his bloodshot gaze turning to his friend.

 

“Yes, out,” Chris replied calmly. “You’ve not been outside in far too long. I don’t want you trashing my hotel room as well,”

 

Victor cringed at the memory. “I won’t… I mean… we can’t go outside… the reporters…”

 

“Are only out the front of the hotel,” Chris cut in. “I’ve arranged for Yakov to meet us around the back in 15 minutes, and we’re going to go for brunch,”

 

“Brunch?” Victor snorted. “Chris that’s… Chris I can’t go about my life like it’s normal right now!”

 

“Well, you have to!” came the stern reply, Chris’ hands planted on Victor’s shoulders. They locked eyes. “I don’t know what’s happened to Yuuri and Yuri any more than you do, but I’m imagining that it is extremely unpleasant. When they walk away from this ordeal, what do you think they’re going to be like, hmm?”

 

Victor looked up at his friend, fresh tears dancing at the corners of his eyes.

 

“Yuuri is going to need you, and you’ve got to stay strong,” said Chris evenly. “Do it for him,”

 

Victor swallowed thickly and averted his gaze. It was true, he had been so wrapped up in how he felt that he had forgotten to look into the future. Every waking minute he was reading articles about his breakdown, or about the ransom video, or watching dumbass people on the news try to dictate what was best for other people depending on their secondary gender. He reached up to pull one of Chris’ hands into his own, giving it a tight squeeze.

 

“For Yuuri,” he whispered. Chris smiled and gave Victor some distance to get himself ready.

 

 _I’m so selfish._ The silver-haired alpha told himself. _I’ll make it right by you, Yuuri. I promise. You’ll always be safe with me._

 

Wrapping his scarf around his neck, he turned to Chris. “I’m nearly ready to go,”

 

Chris smiled warmly at him. “Good, Yakov should be outside any minute,”

 

They made their way down to the basement floor of the hotel, in order to avoid any lingering journalists who might have creeped their way into the lobby. They passed down the long corridor which Victor recalled from the night when his in-laws arrived.

 

Breathing in the crisp air seemed to wash away some of Victor’s funk. Sure, he had kept himself clean and looked after (after the persuasions of Yakov and Hiroko), but the stale depression that had settled deep into him was whisked away a little. Victor closed his eyes and felt the frigid breeze rustle his hair, cleansing his thoughts slightly. He found that he couldn’t fully open his eyes in the brightness of midday, having become accustomed to the dim glow of a hotel room. Chris rustled in his bag and handed him some sunglasses.

 

“Thanks,” he said, pushing them up the bridge of his nose. Once his eyes had relaxed, Chris gently took his hand and led him towards the quiet alleyway. Their uneven steps on the cobbled pathway echoed against the tall walls of the hotel buildings, and Victor let himself relax into the companionable silence between him and Chris.

 

Chris was a stellar friend, always there for Victor whenever he needed him – and Victor needed him a lot. Less so since Yuuri came into his life, but sometimes there were struggles he couldn’t share with his significant other, and Chris was always on the other end of the phone to talk.

 

At this particular time, Chris had driven practically non-stop from Switzerland to Berlin. The beta was due to compete in the Grand Prix Finals mere weeks from now, the same as Yuri and Otabek. He simply said that he had informed his coach of a short break, kissed his husband goodbye and then jumped in the car. Victor had burst into tears (again) when his best friend had arrived, leaving Hiroko’s embrace for the first time in hours.

 

Victor pretended not to notice when Chris nervously glanced around at the trashed hotel room, before practically carrying the alpha out and into his own room. Chris tentatively asked what had happened, and Victor’s emotions came pouring out, and Chris held him the whole time, just listening. Since then it had all been a blur, Chris looking after him whilst he wallowed in his own self-pity.

 

He was eternally grateful to have such a wonderful friend.

 

“Chris! Vitya!” came a grunt from across the way. They had exited the alleyway and were now on a quiet one-way road, and Yakov was waving at them from beside a black car.

 

“I’m glad I drove here,” said Chris, pulling Victor towards the older man. “We’re just going to find a quiet café, away from the city,”

 

Victor just squeezed his friends hand in response. Once again, Chris had come through and saved the day for him.

 

Yakov greeted him with a quick hug, before the three of them bundled into the small car. Victor took the back seat so that the older man didn’t have to climb into the small space, and he let himself relax. He had always been one for sleeping whilst travelling, the motions soothing him to the point of dozing off within ten minutes. He was glad for that now, as he hadn’t slept properly since Yuuri’s disappearance.

 

Victor was roused from his sleep when the engine stopped. He yawned heavily and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He glanced around to see that they were in a very small car park outside a small church.

 

“Let’s go, Vitya,” said Chris, a cold breeze waking Victor up instantly when the blonde opened the car door.

 

“Where are we?” mumbled Victor as he climbed out of the car, a lot less graceful than normal.

 

“I honestly don’t know,” Chris replied, locking his car once they were all out. “We kept driving until we found a nice town to have a quiet café lunch at,”

 

Victor blinked at his friend. _Chris really does think of everything._

They found a cosy café a few streets away from the church. Chris spoke to the waitress in halting German, but lost none of his usual charm. Soon enough, they sat with hot mugs of coffee in their hands.

 

“So,” Yakov began. “Otabek has contacted me with some extremely good news,”

 

Victor’s ears pricked. He looked up at the old beta through the steam of his drink, which he was seconds away from taking a sip from.

 

“Otabek’s father has donated one million Euros to the cause,”

 

Victor would have dropped his coffee had Chris not thought to take it away, just in time. He stared incredulously at his former coach, so many things flying around his brain, but not one coherent thought that he could vocalise.

 

“Obviously, that is a significant chunk of the ransom,” Yakov continued. “With that and the money from your savings, we are very close to seeing Yuri freed,”

 

Victor gulped heavily. Yes, it was pretty much guaranteed that two million would be raised in time, but to hear the news was exactly what Victor needed to hear.

 

“What about other donations?” Chris asked, setting Victor’s mug down. The alpha took a long gulp of the coffee, ignoring the burn in his throat as he let the information sink in.

 

“Well, many skaters have donated their personal funds as you know,” the beta said, blowing into his own mug of coffee. “Myself included. We are a tight-knit community, not to mention an international one. Athletes have banded together in this time of need, whether they know Yuuri or Yuri personally or not.

 

“Donations are coming in fast from the general public via the page we set up. Each donation averages at around ten euros, and thousands have donated already. I believe JJ is hosting an auction today, several skaters from North America have donated pairs of signed skates for the cause. I imagine that that will be quite a success,”

 

Victor ran his hands through his silver hair. It was overwhelming, the effort that people had put in to save the two omegas, and at such short notice. Guilt washed over him as he compared their efforts to his own.

 

“I’ve done nothing,” he whispered. “Everyone is being so kind and generous, and all I’ve done is mope,”

 

He buried his head in his hands as tears threatened to spill once again. A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders.

 

“You’re not in a position to do anything like that right now,” Chris murmured, pulling the alpha closer. “Yes these people know and love Yuuri, but they aren’t his husband, they aren’t his mate. It’s not going to affect them in the same way,”

 

“But Otabek,” Victor sniffled. “He’s in the same position as me, and he’s gone well out of his way to help,”

 

“Vitya,” said Yakov quietly. Victor’s face emerged from behind his hands and he looked up at his old friend. The beta was never very good with comforting words, but having him there helped to ground Victor. He took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

 

Moments later, their food arrived. They ate in silence, and Victor tried to pull back that feeling of happiness that had surfaced momentarily. But he couldn’t. It had buried itself once again in the layers of worry and guilt and pain that followed Victor everywhere now.

 

 _Being selfish again._ He scolded himself. _Be happy that Yurio is close to being freed._

It was Wednesday afternoon, and Victor realised that this marked the halfway point between the ransom demand and the deadline. Half the time had passed, and nearly half the funds raised.

 

 _Mostly due to Otabek’s father._ He thought. His stomach dropped. _We are not going to get a donation so big again._

He swallowed a mouthful of food, pushing the thought the back of his mind. Victor could not foresee a life without Yuuri, but the likelihood of his mate being returned to him was rapidly disappearing.

 

The silver-haired alpha pushed his plate away. He had only eaten about half of his meal, but he suddenly felt very nauseous. He began to chew on his bottom lip as he stared out of the window, his eyes glassing over as he watched tiny flakes of snow drift towards the ground.

 

 _Yuuri loves the snow._ Victor ached for the omega’s touch. On days like this they would head to the park and stroll hand-in-hand, the white snowflakes sitting in stark contrast atop Yuuri’s raven hair before melting away. Daily walks were a habit of theirs, even since losing Makkachin, and Victor craved some alone time. He pushed his chair away from the table as he stood.

 

“I’m going for a walk,” he explained to the other two men, who were still eating. Chris nodded sympathetically and Victor made his way out of the café.

 

He found a small park a few streets away, which was thankfully fairly empty. Across the field was some swings, a little girl giggling as she rocked higher and higher into the sky. A man stood not far away from her, constantly glancing in her direction, in between throwing a tennis ball for a very excitable spaniel. Victor smiled at the sight, and carried on walking.

 

The path weaved its way from one field to another, and through a small canopy of trees. Victor lost himself in the silence, almost meditating as he let all thought evaporate from his head. Eventually he reached a metal fence, separating the park from a fairly busy road. He took it as a sign that he should head back, and he resumed his mindful stroll.

 

By the time he made his way back to the first field, the girl on the swing and the man with the dog had gone. Victor sighed and reached in his pocket to check the time, and to answer any messages that might have been left for him by Chris or Yakov.

 

 _I left it at the hotel._ Victor thought, frowning. _Shit, I hope they aren’t worried._

Victor made his way back to the café at a fast-paced walk, hoping that the other men were still there. He rounded the corner and saw that they were no longer sat at the window.

 

 _Goddammit!_ He cursed himself for wandering off. _My talent in life seems to be making bad situations worse._

But, as he drew nearer the café, he could see the silhouettes of Yakov and Chris standing by the counter, staring intently at a large television screen behind it.

 

Victor’s face flushed as he practically stumbled into the warm café, but nobody paid him any attention. He glanced up at the screen to see… Otto and Helena? Addressing reporters outside his hotel?

 

“What’s going on?” he whispered to Chris, who jumped slightly at Victor’s voice.

 

The beta’s face broke into a huge smile. “Victor, the first two million has been raised!”

 

Victor’s jaw dropped to the floor. He glanced over at Yakov, who was tapping away frantically on his phone. “Really?” he whispered.

 

Chris nodded, a tear forming at the corner of each eye. “Halfway there, Victor!”

 

Victor wasn’t sure if he was about to faint, throw up, cry, scream or all of the above. His heart burst with happiness knowing that Yurio would be freed, and any doubts he had about Yuuri’s safety were extinguished.

 

He stood motionless, the shock clearly etched all over his face, and Chris just pulled him into a tight hug. Victor melted into his friend’s embrace, allowing hope and happiness to override all of his other emotions.

 

“Come on,” Chris said gently. “We should probably get back,”

 

The shock of the news had dissipated once the three men reached the car, leaving Victor to babble excitedly about how happy he was. He bombarded Yakov with questions about other fundraisers, the older man calmly answering each one.

 

“So what happens now?” He asked, sighing happily.

 

“I’m sure Otto and Helena will fill us in when we get back,” Yakov replied. “They put the announcement out because they have no direct way to contact the kidnappers. They also tell me that they have some information regarding leads that they have followed up. In the meantime, I need to talk about you, Vitya,”

 

Victor gulped. “What about me?”

 

Yakov shifted uncomfortably in his car seat. “I’ve had a number of… propositions… from various media outlets,” he began.

 

Victor frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

“They want to pay for an exclusive interview with you,” Yakov said, his breath held slightly.

 

Snorts from both Chris and Victor came in reply.

 

“Is now really the time?” chided Chris. “Victor isn’t exactly in a good place to have the vultures swoop down on him like that,”

 

“Yakov, you know I want to avoid the media as much as possible…”

 

“They will pay,” Yakov said, emptily. “Quite a lot it would seem. I know it perhaps… goes against your morals… but a handsome cheque from them might help a long way into seeing Yuuri freed as well,”

 

Victor’s jaw clenched slightly. “How much?”

 

“The highest offer so far stands at fifty thousand Euros,” Yakov continued. “But, that is for an interview with yourself and rights to an interview with Yura and Yuuri when they get out,”

 

“Absolutley not,” Victor exclaimed, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. “We can’t agree to something like that on their behalf,”

 

“I agree,” Yakov replied, turning round in his chair to face Victor. “But I am very good at negotiating,”

 

Victor blinked at him a few times and raised a questioning eyebrow.

 

“Would you be willing to do an interview on your own, Vitya?” he asked. “Making no promises at all for an interview with Yuuri?”

 

“Yes, of course,” the alpha scoffed. “But the price will go way down, it might not even be worth it,”

 

“It’ll be worth every cent, Victor,” said Chris quietly. “You can’t pass this up. What if Friday comes around and the ransom is even one Euro short? You could have closed that gap. Don’t tell me you could still live with yourself if that was the case. Put your pride in your private life aside for Yuuri’s sake,”

 

Yakov and Victor stared in silence at the blonde man, who had not taken his eyes off the road once. He was right of course, but Victor found it a difficult pill to swallow. Throughout his late teens and twenties, his personal life always ended up splashed over the tabloids – some drunken one night stand would sell their shitty story to a gossip magazine, or the paparazzi would somehow find him in an early-morning walk of shame, or people who worked at the rinks he skated at would post on social media about how he’d turn up to practice still reeking of booze. Victor had found solace in his relationship with Yuuri – the younger man saw no need to keep up any sort of social media presence, and had a talent for ignoring the press without seeming too aloof. At first, Victor had envied him greatly for his quieter life, until he realised that with a few changes he could do the same. Yuuri had taught him how to keep his private life… well, private.

 

Something like this would be a break in this new way of life. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the knots that had formed during his walk in the wind.

 

 _Why am I even giving this a second thought?_ He scolded himself. _It’s a no-brainer._

“I’ll do it,” he said, sighing. “But an intimate interview please, not a press conference,”

 

Yakov smiled, and Chris’s grip on the steering wheel loosened, the blood rushing back to his white knuckles. “Don’t worry, I’ll get a good price,” said Yakov, patting Victor on the knee.

 

By the time they reached Chris’s hotel room once again, Otabek was there to greet them. Victor pulled him into a tight hug, the lump in his throat making him unable to vocalise just how grateful he was. Otabek seemed to understand, reciprocating the hug. But, Victor noticed that the young alpha seemed even more solemn than usual. Soon enough they were re-joined by Yakov, who had come with Nikolai in tow, and Otto and Helena.

 

Once everyone had settled in the room, Helena cleared her throat.

 

“I’m sure you’re all aware of the good news by now,” she began, mostly looking at Nikolai and Otabek. “It really is a fantastic step forward for us, and marks the halfway point for the total ransom,”

 

“I want to reiterate that we are doing everything we can to find Yuuri and Yuri, and that having the ransom money will hopefully be our safety net. Other than the original ransom video, we have received no correspondence from the kidnappers at all. Our announcement first aired one hour ago, and is being repeated on many television channels around Europe at least every hour. Of course, we will let you know as soon as we receive a reply,”

 

“Unfortunately, the lead we had regarding Yuri Plisetsky’s last known location has been a dead end,” Otto continued. “Investigators visited the location provided by the Snapmaps service, which turned out to be a point on the Autobahn equidistant from two junctions. There was debris on the road which resembled a mobile phone crushed by moving cars. Forensics examined the scene and the remains of the phone for any traces of DNA, but found none due to the nature of the scene.

 

“CCTV footage of that portion of the road showed no personnel on foot disposing of the phone, so it is assumed at this time that it was thrown out of a moving vehicle. The Autobahn links the major cities in Germany, as well as leading out of the country. An extensive investigation is ongoing to try to find the vehicle from which the phone was dropped, and by extension where that vehicle ended up,”

 

The tension in the room was palpable. Victor exhaled heavily as he let the torrent of information sink in.

 

“So what now?” asked Otabek.

 

Helena looked at him sympathetically. “Now we wait,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say that I am SUPER excited to post the next chapter, I really hope you guys enjoy it! It's gonna be something a bit different ;)


	14. Detroit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DID IT LADS I GOT MY CHAPTER BACK!!! 
> 
> Thank you for all your prayers, my laptop survived it's ordeal and I can carry on as if nothing happened! (Except I learned from my experience and now EVERYTHING is backed up) 
> 
> I'm so so sorry for the super long wait! I really hope you like this chapter is worth it. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> Sexual harassment, sexual assault, mentions of rape / implied rape

“Enjoy your weekend!” the receptionist called as he walked out of the hospital.

 

“I’m sure I will, I’m on shift both days!” he called back, flashing a charming smile as he waved over his shoulder.

 

The frigid air characteristic of Detroit’s winter caught in his throat as the hospital doors opened, a flurry of snow passing by him. Pulling his hood up, he sighed. Despite working at the hospital for most of the weekend, he absolutely had to go out drinking tonight. Friday nights were always lively, even when the weather would most likely encourage most people to stay in the warmth of their houses.

 

But, bars were warm and so were women. The high concentration of students in the area meant that it would be more than easy to find someone to warm his bed that night. In actual fact, he didn’t care what gender the person was – to him, they were just a toy for the night.

 

Trudging through the snow, he weighed up his options for the night. There were the clubs that were always packed but served cheap booze; the more pretentious bars that only seemed to serve sugary cocktails; the equally pretentious pubs that only served craft beers. He had his favourite haunts by now, having lived in the city for a number of years, and he could always hop from place to place if one wasn’t living up to his expectations.

 

The alpha reached his flat soon enough, fumbling with his key due to his thickly gloved hands. He eventually got in, dumped his bag on the floor and went straight for a shower. Personal grooming was a must for him – even though the majority of his flirting work was done with his impressive looks, it never hurt to have that extra edge over the other alphas in the vicinity.

 

Within twenty minutes he was dressed and ready to leave, and sat with a cold beer whilst waiting for his taxi. The night was still young, so he decided to go to a bar first, get some drinks in his system, and then head to a club to find some horny little thing to take home with him.

 

Two bars and five beers later, he was feeling much happier. Nobody he knew was at either bar, but sometimes he preferred it that way. A hard week at work dealing with patients that did not want to be dealt with gave him quite the headache, and the only socialising he wanted to do after such times was fucking. But it was clear he was not in luck here.

 

Why it was clear, he did not know. But a niggling feeling in the back of his mind told him that he needed to be elsewhere. He finished his beer and decided to head to a club, hoping that by now it would be fairly lively. Luckily, there was one around the corner that he knew well. He was a regular there, as the booze was reasonable, the music not too annoying and the other patrons fairly easy.

 

He greeted the bouncers with a nod and they let him straight inside. He shook the snowflakes from his brown hair and paid to leave his jacket in the cloakroom. He winked cheekily at the attended, a blonde woman in her early twenties who giggled in response.

 

 _You can even get the sober ones lusting after you._ He congratulated himself.

 

Making his way over to the bar, he saw a couple of familiar faces – two other alphas who frequented this club for the same reasons as him. He pulled up a stool next to them and ordered himself a beer, starting himself a tab.

 

“Here to find an omega?” one of his friends asked, a bulky German man with ash-blonde hair.

 

“Not necessarily,” he replied, taking a swig of his beer.

 

“You never been with an omega?” the other alpha asked, his Russian accent thick.

 

“Don’t think so,” he shrugged. “Never think to ask,”

 

“Oh man, you’d know,” the Russian man laughed, taking a swig of his vodka. “Once you’ve had an omega, there is no turning back. There’s nothing else in this world that compares,”

 

“They were literally built just to please us,” the German man stated. “Everyone secretly knows that it’s all they are good for. How many famous omegas do you know? Hardly any, alphas and betas beat them at everything, except fucking. God, their scent alone can make me hard,”

 

“Well I’m glad there’s none in this room just now then,” the alpha replied, rolling his eyes. _Trust these guys to be alpha rights activists. Bet they think I’m one of them._

In truth, the brown-haired alpha had never given it much thought. It wasn’t all that easy to tell someone’s secondary gender, especially now that scent blockers and suppressants were easily accessible; and what with how these alphas acted, it was no wonder omegas jumped at the chance to use them.

 

An hour ticked by, young patrons trickling in steadily. The heavy condensation on his beer bottle showed him that the night was really getting lively now, and he turned to see that the dancefloor was fairly full, people dancing away drunkenly. He scanned the room to see if anyone caught his eye, and the double doors into the club opened to reveal a large gaggle of young people.

 

One of them did catch his eye.

 

More than caught his eye. The man took his breath away. From a distance, he was beautiful – jet black hair slicked back to reveal his soft face, complexion glowing. Even from across the room it was clear that his eyes were expressive, that his lips were plump and pink. Compared to his giddy peers, he looked shy, his lean body shown off in black skinny jeans that rode on his luscious hips, clinging to his full thighs. His elegant arms were wrapped awkwardly across his body, but not enough to hide the fact that his toned stomach was bared for all to admire due to a white crop-top that hung delicately from his shoulders.

 

The alpha gulped thickly, his throat suddenly having become very dry.

 

“That one’s mine,” he growled at the other alphas before downing the rest of his beer. He was nervous, and this was a new feeling. What was he nervous about?

 

The other two men had turned to see who he had laid claim to, and it was clear that they wanted him too. But he’d be willing to fight over this one. He glanced backwards to see the black-haired beauty be dragged towards the bar by an excitable friend.

 

The friend was almost as cute. Tanned complexion and a figure that looked as though he was crafted by the gods themselves. His shiny black hair framed his youthful face, a pair of magnificent eyebrows bordering his dark eyes.

 

The alpha felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead when he noticed that the two young men were heading straight towards him. Could it be this easy? The bartender handed him another beer, and he sat nervously waiting for the beautiful man to appear beside him.

 

“Two Jaegerbombs and two vodka lemonades please!” came a sing-song voice beside him. Holding his breath, he turned to see the two of them up close. The tanned man was lithe and pretty, yes. But the black-haired vixen beside him was something else entirely. Despite looking completely out of his comfort zone, he was ethereal. The lights of the club danced around him, and the alpha was transfixed. The raven’s eyes were wide, and his lush bottom lip was being worried between his teeth.

 

Vaguely, he heard the bartender charge the tanned man for the drinks. The alpha stopped him by resting his large hand on the smaller one, flashing his charming smile.

 

“Two cuties like you shouldn’t be paying for drinks,” he said, winking. “Stick their drinks on my tab,”

 

The bartender nodded, turning away to serve other customers. The alpha took a swig of his beer, and turned to begin speaking to the young men beside him.

 

“Yuuuuuriiii!!!” the tanned man whined, as he saw his friend halfway through downing his vodka lemonade. He had already polished off the Jaeger. “We’re meant to do them together!”

 

Yuuri simply finished the lemonade and resumed his position with his arms over his torso.

 

“Well looks like you’ll just have to have another!” the tanned friend teased, and the bartender was right on time with a fresh Jaegerbomb and vodka lemonade for Yuuri. The friends tapped the plastic cups together, making a toast. “To Katsuki Yuuri, Japan’s Ace!”

 

Yuuri smiled shyly, and then he and his friend knocked back the Jaegers and turned to pick up their vodka lemonades.

 

“Thanks handsome,” the tanned boy winked at the alpha. He opened his mouth for a reply but in a flash, Yuuri had dragged his friend away and towards the dancefloor.

 

The alpha watched them disappear into the crowds, admiring the curve of Yuuri’s hips. God, he needed this boy and he needed him badly… but there was something he couldn’t quite wrap his head around...

 

He didn’t just want to take Yuuri home for the night. He wanted to get to know him, spend time with him…

 

 _Court him?!_ He shook his head slightly at the thought. He’d never felt this way before. He slowly turned back to the bar and took a long swig of his drink. His German friend patted him on the back.

 

“Oh dear, you got it bad for that one,” he mused. “Don’t worry man, we’re not gonna get in the way of true mates,”

 

The brunette alpha scoffed. “Yeah sure, my true mate,” he rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you believe in that bullshit?”

 

The atmosphere between the three men changed drastically. The two others eyed him up with hard gazes, their brows furrowing and their lips slightly parted. They looked almost shocked.

 

“You mean you don’t?” the Russian man asked, wide-eyed. “Even after seeing your true mate walk right in front of you, you don’t believe it?”

 

He stared at the other alphas for a moment. Perhaps they were right. He had always brushed that sort of stuff off as nonsense parents tell their children, he never believed it himself. But the way his stomach dropped when Yuuri had entered the room, the way his heart had fluttered when he was standing mere feet away from him… he struggled to find another explanation.

 

Yuuri hadn’t even said a word and yet he felt as though his life revolved around him now, that he needed to protect him, care for him, love him…

 

 _Love? This is absurd._ He scolded himself. _It’s just been too long since I got laid, I’m sure that fucking him tonight will cure this._

He poured the rest of his beer down his throat and hopped off the barstool in search of Yuuri. The crowd had swelled considerably since he has first entered the club, a sea of people covering the dancefloor. Despite being tall, he could hardly make out specific faces in the darkness of the club.

 

But he would know Yuuri instantly.

 

Glancing around, he began to slowly push his way through the throng of dancers. Most shuffled out of his way, only swaying slightly to the beat of the music. Others careered right into him, spilling their drinks and laughing, carefree.

 

Closer to the DJ booth, the dancing was more energetic. Bodies pushed up against one another, jumping and twisting along to the music. His vision was blocked by arms in the air, waving and bouncing as the bass swelled. He turned on the spot, his eyes darting around to catch a glimpse of Yuuri. Flashing lights shone on sweaty skin, bouncing off of over-gelled hair and refracting in the steam that rose from the dancefloor.

 

And in amongst the chaos, there he was.

 

Yuuri was pressed close against his friend, swaying his hips seductively. His arms stretched elegantly into the air, and then he trailed one down the other, caressing along his collarbone and bending his other elbow behind his head. Then, the arm on his collar began to run down his chest as the other brushed down his soft cheeks, past his closed eyes and slightly parted lips.

 

He was heavenly. The alpha stood frozen in place, transfixed by the beauty in front of him. He took a step forward, he needed to get nearer, to touch him, to smell him…

 

…his arm was pulled sharply behind him, and his body spun round to face a tall woman in a tight-fit red dress, neckline plunging down to show off her large yet perky breasts. Her long blonde hair fell in waves way past her shoulders, but it was shaved on one side of her head. She pulled the alpha closer so as to whisper in his ear.

 

“Fancy a dance, handsome?” she chirped, exuding confidence. Any other day, he would have gladly taken up that offer, would have been eager to pull her pack to his apartment and see what else lay beneath that dress.

 

But today, she was just an inconvenience.

 

He took her wrists and brought them close to his chest, pulling her into him. “Sorry, don’t swing that way,” he murmured, letting go of her hands so they fell by her sides. Clearly this woman was not used to being rejected, so a simple lie would hopefully not wound her too much.

 

Well, a half-lie.

 

He turned back around to resume his hunt for Yuuri. Staggering over to where he last saw the raven, he felt his heart soar in his chest.

 

_I can’t wait to meet you, Yuuri._

Before he knew it, he was at the DJ booth. That wasn’t right, Yuuri wasn’t dancing this far away from the bar. Spinning around, he assessed the dancefloor once more. He couldn’t see Yuuri or his friend anywhere.

 

Sighing, he made his way to the toilets. The pulsing lights, the loud music and the bump of bodies against him was becoming too much. He needed a slightly quieter place to gather his thoughts.

 

Splashing water on his face, he tried to stop himself from panicking. What if Yuuri had already left? What if he never got the chance to see him again? He stared at himself in the mirror; he looked pale. Droplets of water clung to his skin, and it made him look sickly. Scrubbing himself with paper towels, he willed his face into his usual charming smile. He needed to make a good first impression.

 

Reaching out to pull the door open, he was lost in thought. So much so that he hardly noticed the door opening on its own. He absentmindedly stepped through, but two people came barrelling past him in the opposite direction, giggling uncontrollably.

 

“Oh my GOD, Yuuri!” the tanned man squealed, covering his mouth with his hands. “I can’t believe you just slapped someone!”

 

“Well he shouldn’t have groped my ass!” Yuuri laughed.

 

_He’s right there, he’s right there._

The alpha stood stock still as the door creaked shut behind him.

 

_What are you doing, he’s right in there!_

He turned and glanced at the door, mouth suddenly very dry.

 

_I can’t go back in there, that would be so weird! And lurking out here is weirder still!_

Panicking, he paced over to the bar and ordered a shot of vodka. It burned his throat on the way down, but the fire filled him with some much-needed courage. He would keep an eye out for when Yuuri came out of the bathroom, and wait for him to take up a place on the dancefloor. Then, he would unassumingly find his way over to where the raven was dancing, and charm him into coming home with him.

 

By the sounds of it, he had competition, but none were as classy as he was.  

 

He considered that the night would go one of two ways. He would successfully seduce Yuuri, take him back home and fuck him until morning, and then toss him aside just like every other one-night stand in his life, this strange feeling sated. Or, he could take him home and sleep with him, and fall even harder for the black-haired beauty.

 

Either way, he would have Yuuri in his bed by the end of the night. What happened after that was arbitrary.

 

Sliding off the bar stool and shimmying through the crowds, he kept a beady eye out for Yuuri or his friend. The alpha made several laps around the dancefloor, to no avail. Frustration bubbled up inside of him – what if Yuuri had moved to another bar or club? What if he had gone home? He should have just waited outside the toilets for him, damned if it was a bit creepy, he could have charmed himself out of that easily. He cursed his sudden onset of nerves.

 

Angrily, he made his way back to the bar to get another beer. Surprisingly, his two acquaintances were still sat where he left them. He pushed in between them and beckoned the bartender.

 

“Have you not taken that omega home yet?” the Russian one grunted.

 

“Doesn’t look like you two are faring any better,” he spat bitterly, his bottle of beer nearly slipping straight out of his hands due to the condensation. “Thought you’d be… hang on, how do you know he is an omega?”

 

“Oh come on man, it’s obvious!” the German one replied.

 

“How is it obvious?” the alpha snarled, taking a long gulp of his drink.

 

“I don’t know man, it just is!” German said incredulously. “What kind of alpha are you if you don’t know an omega when you see one?”

 

“I’ve met plenty of omegas, and didn’t know what they were until they told me!” he said defensively.

 

“But male omegas,” grunted Russian. “They’re something else. Don’t tell me you’ve never met a male omega before?”

 

The brunette paused, the neck of his bottle resting against his lips. As far as he was aware, he’d never met a male omega before… but he was terrible at judging people’s secondary genders. He huffed in frustration and took another swig of beer.

 

German clapped him on the back. “Well look at you, the first male omega you meet and it’s your true mate!”

 

The alpha rolled his eyes in response and tipped his bottle up to empty the rest into his mouth, eager to get back to finding Yuuri. As he set the empty glass back on the bar, cheers erupted from behind him. He slowly turned around to see the cause of the uproar.

 

His jaw hit the floor.

 

There, beside the DJ booth, floated Yuuri. His beautiful frame ached backwards elegantly, thighs gripping a shiny metal pole. One hand gripped the pole, steadying his frame, whilst the other stretched above his head, fingers pointing delicately upwards at nothing. He hung there momentarily, haloed by the strobe lighting and looking every bit an angel, before he gracefully pulled himself upwards, chest flush against the pole. The hand above his head swung down to his side, and one leg hooked around the pole, toe pointed underneath him. The other leg mirrored the shape, legs forming a triangle as he spun delicately back down to the ground.

 

Yuuri’s elegant legs were no longer clad in the black jeans, and the alpha spied Yuuri’s tanned friend standing close to the pole, waving them in the air whilst whooping and cheering. In his other hand, he held his phone, clearly trying to capture the performance on camera. Yuuri’s toes met the floor, his knees slightly bent. Without skipping a beat, he pushed his hips forward and arched his back, still gripping the pole above him. He pirouetted round once before wrapping his foot around the pole, and he began to climb. His lithe body snaked its way high above the ground, and then he extended his legs out, still crossed so as to maintain his grip. He moved a hand below his pert butt, gripping the pole beneath him to steady himself as he leant backwards. His legs tilted upwards, remaining straight but now almost parallel to the pole, and his head tipped down and arms stretched towards the floor. His entire weight was supported by his iron grip on the pole between his legs.

 

The alpha had almost never experienced arousal like it. He sat enraptured by Yuuri’s pale body and the erotic shapes it was forming. The omega’s eyes were closed, a small smile on his lips as he held the pose for a few tantalising seconds, but then they drifted open so he could make his next move.

 

Chocolate eyes locked with his own.

 

Yuuri was magnetic and magnificent even from across the other side of the dancefloor. The alpha felt one, two, three beats of his heart pass before Yuuri broke their eye contact, sliding slowly down until his palms touched the floor. His grip on the pole was relinquished and he straightened his legs, pointing his toes high up to the ceiling. The omega’s beautiful face was obscured now by the crowd, so all the alpha could see were those pale and muscular legs sink down to the floor in a half-cartwheel. Rising up, Yuuri immediately grabbed hold of the pole once more, his arms spread in a wide V-shape. Lifting his legs up parallel to the floor, he delicately spun around the pole, his head thrown back slightly. Placing one foot on the floor and holding his lowest arm out to his side, he used the momentum from the spin to pirouette backwards again. The alpha’s breath caught as it looked as though the omega were about to fall backwards, but as the back of the raven’s knee hit the pole, he bent it up into the same triangle shape as before, his other toe pointing behind him. He span backwards on the pole and began to spiral to the ground.

 

And then he was hauled off stage by a large bouncer. The crowd booed and hissed but Yuuri just smiled and waved, his friend chasing after him and giggling like mad. The alpha had hardly noticed that his legs were taking him in the same path, desperate to help Yuuri away from the other man’s touches. His eyes remained fixed on Yuuri’s disappearing form as he weaved his way between the crowds. The doors to the club swung open and then they disappeared behind it. He picked up his pace, not wanting to miss which direction Yuuri was heading in. He was so close to the door, he reached out his arm and…

 

…he fell flat on his face. Groaning, he pulled himself upright and yanked at the thing wrapped around his ankles which had made him trip – at least Yuuri didn’t witness such an embarrassment. Standing up, he smoothed the fabric between his hands; a small pair of black skinny jeans.

 

Hope pulsed through him at the sight, now he had an excuse to approach the omega! He stumbled towards the door, dizzy with glee.

 

There were two directions he could go in – one led out the back towards the smoking area, and one led to the front entrance of the club past the cloakroom. Given that Yuuri was wearing nothing but a crop top and underwear, he figured that they must have gone via the cloakroom to grab their coats.

 

The alpha didn’t even bother to flirt with the girl manning the cloakroom, only pleading her to tell him whether a bouncer had pulled an intoxicated Asian man past her, gesturing wildly at the jeans in his hand and babbling on about how cold the omega was going to be. She seemed slightly put out by his change in attitude, merely telling him that no she had not seen a bouncer come past, and why did he even have a stranger’s pair of trousers in his hands?

 

“He took them off to pole dance!” he explained, exasperated. “That’s probably why he’s being kicked out!”

 

“Oh,” she drawled, folding her arms. “Well if he’s been kicked out he would have gone out via the back. You’ll need to buy a smoking pass to get there yourself,”

 

“Are you kidding me?!” the alpha groaned. “Please, I’m not even going for a smoke,”

 

The attendant shrugged. “I don’t make the rules,”

 

He ran a hand down his face and sighed deeply, and then pulled out some loose change from his trouser pocket. “Here, now please can I have a smoking pass?!”

 

Slowly, she took the money from his hand and counted it. The alpha was itching for her to hurry up, as soon Yuuri would have disappeared from the club in god knows what direction. Infuriatingly, she shuffled some papers around under her little desk, trying to find a smoking pass. When one finally emerged, he snatched it from her hands and ran down the hallway towards the back exit of the club.

 

Freezing cold air hit him when he barged through the door, barely looking at the bouncer as he flashed his pass. The area was not too busy, only the most hardcore of smokers bothering to go out into the snow for a single cigarette. The area was fenced off but led to a small street, so he made his way there. He pushed the barrier open and stepped out into the yellow haze of the streetlamps, eyes darting around for a sign of Yuuri.

 

And a few meters away, Yuuri was being lifted into the back of a taxi by his friend, both of them still giggling. The alpha took one step forward, but the taxi door was already closing.

 

He watched as the taxi drove off, clutching the jeans tightly to his chest. His breath misted around him as the headlights disappeared into the night. In the crisp air, something sweet stood out to him. Gazing down at the jeans in his hand, he realised – his mate’s scent was gently floating off the garment.

 

 _Not my mate._ He told himself, bringing the fabric closer to his face. _Just an exceptionally captivating omega._ He inhaled deeply, the floral scent of chamomile soothing his frustration slightly. The smell was faint, yet intoxicating. He wanted more. The delicate notes of chamomile were laced with a sweet honey smell, and the combination made him crave the omega deeply.

 

Begrudgingly, he made his way back to the bar, unsure of what to do with himself. The humid air inside the club felt suffocating now, and he just wanted to leave. He quietly called the bartender over to settle up, when a large hand patted him on the shoulder.

 

“How are you getting on, boss?” the German man asked, nudging the brunette in the ribs with his elbow.

 

“Umm…” he said, taken aback by the nickname. “Well, he’s gone. I never even got to speak to him,”

 

“You let your true mate get away?!” German gasped. “How on earth-,”

 

“Shut the FUCK UP!” Boss yelled. “Shut UP about this true mates shit, it’s tiring as fuck. Just because I wanted to stick my dick in him-,”

 

“What’s this?” came a Russian grunt, and there was a sharp tug on the jeans. Boss growled and clung onto the fabric. “Why have you got these?”

 

“He left them on the floor, okay?!” he replied, tapping in his pin to the card machine angrily, ignoring the concerned face of the bartender. “I was trying to give them back!”

 

The bartender retreated quickly, and Boss quickly shoved his card in his wallet and stood up to leave. The other two alpha’s blocked his path.

 

“Listen man, I know you don’t believe me,” German said over Boss’ growls. “But take that home and keep it for your next rut. Trust me,”

 

“I’m not some pervert,” he spat, shoving the other alpha out of the way.

 

He barely remembered getting back to his apartment. Did he walk all that way? He wasn’t cold so maybe he got a taxi? The only thing that he was certain of was that his grip had not relented on the tiny pair of jeans his entire journey.

 

 _Maybe I am a pervert._ He sighed and collapsed onto his couch, bringing the jeans up to nose at them. _What if those guys are right? What if true mates exist?_

He shook his head to clear the thought away. Utter nonsense. Omega smells were enticing to alphas that was just a fact.

 

_What about that blonde girl?_

In truth, any other night he would have given up on his persuit of one in favour of another. He was never one for the chase… but now he felt different. As he inhaled the scent that lingered on the jeans, he began to absentmindedly palm at his crotch. He could feel himself getting hard already, just thinking about the way Yuuri wrapped himself around that pole, about how he could wrap his legs around the alpha’s body, how that glowing skin would look flush up against his own.

 

Suddenly he threw the jeans across the room.

 

 _Disgusting!_ He scolded himself. He’d never felt this desperate before. He stripped his clothes off as he made his way to bed, his drinks from that night finally catching up with him. He pulled the covers up to his chest and opened up Google on his phone.

 

 _Am I really doing this?_ He bit his lip, his thumb hovering over the Y on his keyboard.

 

**Yuuri |**

_ Did you mean **Yuri?** _

****

Showing results for Yuri:

 

Yuri Plisetsky qualifies for Junior Grand Prix

Wikipedia - Yuri Gagarin, Soviet Cosmonaut

Wikipedia – Yuri Kochiyama, American Activist 

The alpha tutted as he scrolled through the first few pages, nothing promising showing up.

 

 _What did his friend call him?_ He strained to remember the tanned man’s toast. _Pride of Japan?_

**Yuuri Pride of Japan |**

JSF Men’s Figure Skating: Yuuri Katsuki 

An Interview with Yuuri Katsuki, Japan’s Ace 

Yuuri Katsuki becomes the first omega to qualify for GPF in 5 years

_Gotcha._ He smiled as he clicked the first link. Only two google searches and he seemed to have found the omega. He reassured himself that this was not even close to stalker behaviour.

 

There on the Japanese Skating Federation website, was a picture of Yuuri looking very different. His hair fell forward onto his face, which was framed by a pair of thick blue glasses.

 

He was adorable.

 

Eons away from the sexbomb he had met at the club. Doubt crept into his mind, maybe this wasn’t the right person… but those brown eyes were so familiar, he was almost drowning in them. Going back, he clicked the next link and skim-read an interview with Yuuri. Accompanying the article was a picture of Yuuri next to the tanned man from the club, both posing in their skates.

 

_Katsuki and rinkmate Phichit Chulanont, Thai hopeful for next year’s GPF_

Although the omega’s hair still fell over his forehead, the glasses were gone. Presumably he wore contacts whilst skating?

 

Going back again, he clicked on the third link. It was a brief sporting article about the omega’s qualification for this Grand Prix Final, nothing too interesting. But, there was a video embedded.

 

When the alpha clicked it, the breath was almost knocked out of him. Yuuri was skating gracefully, his glasses gone and his hair pushed back, looking every bit as delicious as he had at the club.

 

After the fifth replay of the video, the alpha found himself shamefully hard. He refrained from retrieving the jeans from his living room, but he couldn’t contain the arousal bubbling away.

 

He searched for Yuuri on Twitter and Instagram, finding only two very empty accounts and several overwhelming fan accounts. As a long shot, he searched for Yuuri’s friend.

 

Phichit’s Instagram was a gift from God himself. The man had taken thousands of photos, the majority of which contained Yuuri. Most of them were taken at practices, or were selfies of the two of them. Occasionally there were candids of Yuuri looking adorable, curled up on the couch with a steaming cup of tea, or lay on a bed covered in hamsters. There was even one of him before a workout, a loose top contrasting with some sinfully tight yoga pants…

 

Twenty minutes later, Boss lay on his bed, sweaty and ashamed. He had caved to his primal urges and retrieved the jeans from the floor, and barely made it back to his bed. He panted hard as he came down from his high, the jeans still balled up tightly in his hand. The second the smell had hit him, he was unable to think straight – it was almost like being in a rut.

 

 _Omegas can trigger ruts in alphas, it’s nothing to be ashamed of._ Yet he still felt disgusted in himself. He needed a distraction, something to pull his mind out of the gutter.

 

And by the time dawn broke, he knew everything there was to know about figure skating.

 

*****

 

Yuuri’s performance at the Grand Prix Final was heartbreaking to watch. Boss cried into his beer as he saw the chaos unfold from his laptop screen, wanting nothing more than to climb through and wrap the omega up in his arms. Seeing the beautiful man look so despondent in the kiss and cry made his stomach curl up into knots, saw the look on his angelic face when he dropped from third to sixth, two skaters to go and no chance of a medal.

 

He closed his laptop, he couldn’t even bear to watch Giacometti and Nikiforov perform. They were both reliable in their routines, neither would do so badly that Yuuri would end up getting pushed up to fourth.

 

*****

 

“He seems to have disappeared,” Boss moaned into his coffee, his two alpha friends exchanging concerned looks. The week after he first laid eyes on Yuuri, he went back to that club and apologised to them, asked for their advice. Since then, they had become quite close.

 

Too close, one might think.

 

To get his mind off Yuuri, the German and Russian alpha introduced him to the world of BDSM, hooked him up with other omegas, but none of it helped. It just made him want Yuuri more.

 

Eventually he conceded to their notion of true mates.

 

To the point where he could not be convinced otherwise.

 

His stalking reached new levels. He quit his job to move to Japan, once he found out that Yuuri had returned home, and his friends came with him. He had a perfect plan to court Yuuri, he wanted to time it perfectly so that his love would boost the omega’s performance and help him finally win all the gold medals he deserved. He watched as Yuuri trained with a living legend, and every day his confidence in the little omega grew.

 

What a team they would make! Yuuri at the forefront, seducing the world from his icy stage; Nikiforov in the background making Yuuri even more perfect than he already was; and Yuuri would have his alpha, his rock to build his future upon.

 

He knew that winning the Hot Springs on Ice competition would boost Yuuri’s confidence and give him the perfect moment to enter into his life. He watched with baited breath for Plisetsky to finish his piece, beautiful and technically spot on, but lacking a certain quality that could only ever come with maturity. The blonde stepped off the ice, and it was Yuuri’s turn.

 

 _An interesting choice of outfit, my love._ The alpha thought as he admired how the black mesh hugged Yuuri’s body in just the right way. _Is that a replica of one of Nikiforov’s old costumes?_

The piece was named On Love: Eros. Something that Yuuri would be able to exude with ease, and the alpha watched him take to the ice with his heart fluttering. This was going to be quite the comeback performance. The music started, and from the first writhing motions of Yuuri’s arms, the alpha was transfixed. His mouth practically watered at the sight of Yuuri’s body snapping round to face the judges, flashing them his sultry grin. A whistle sounded through the stadium.

 

_Was that… Nikiforov?_

The alpha wrenched his eyes away from Yuuri to see the silver-haired alpha equally enraptured by him. The brunette felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a growl threatening to rumble from his chest. He flicked his gaze back to Yuuri, whose body was gliding gracefully, his presentation effortlessly erotic. The omega was clearly trying to seduce someone.

 

And it appeared to be working.

 

Boss continued to exchange his gaze from Yuuri to Victor, watching their interaction.

 

 _It can’t be._ His heart dropped to his stomach as he followed Victor’s unbreakable gaze on the omega. _He wants Nikiforov. And Nikiforov wants him._

Complaints rang in his ears from the people around him as he barged his way through. The performance was reaching its climax, but he couldn’t watch. He couldn’t stand to see what was rightfully his taken away from him.

 

*****

 

 _I definitely am a stalker now._ The alpha thought to himself, standing in a bustling street in Barcelona. He had moved to southern Germany after the Hot Springs on Ice show, when it became apparent that he was never going to see Yuuri on his own. The silver-haired alpha was almost always practically glued to his side, making it impossible for him to make a move on the omega. The last thing he needed was some sort of brawl with another alpha over his mate. His plan had fallen through, and that left him and his friends to come up with a new plan.

 

The three of them had lived together for some time now. The other two alphas seemed quite content to follow Boss wherever he went, desperate to play their part in getting true mates together. The day after Boss threw a rage after seeing Nikiforov particularly clingy towards Yuuri during the Japanese nationals, the German alpha suggested that they all move back to his home country. 

 

They found a place close to the border between Germany and Austria, and the house had quite a story. There were several rooms in the cellar of the house, the entrance to which was concealed. Apparently, during the Holocaust, the owner of the house used his cellar to hide families being persecuted by the Nazi regime; hence the unique layout. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant space, but it was sure to have its uses in the future.

 

The rest of the house was fairly average. Boss spent the majority of his time following skating events, travelling across the world for any glimpse of Yuuri. The other two alphas maintained mundane jobs to bring some money in. During a BDSM party, they met a beta man whom they all got along with. He was the one who came up with the plan to steal Yuuri away.

 

It was not too far to travel between his new home and Barcelona, where he had travelled for the GPF. He had managed to subtly follow Yuuri during what appeared to be a sightseeing trip with Nikiforov. The two men remained glued to each other’s side for almost the whole day (they had been inseparable since the Cup of China incident, where Nikiforov made his love for the little omega clear to the world) and he was getting frustrated with his lack of opportunity.

 

What he did not expect to see was Yuuri taking Nikiforov to a cathedral, and proposing.

 

*****

 

Yuuri’s wedding day marked the darkest of Boss’ life. He drowned himself in vodka, lamenting at how terrible of an alpha he was. He could sense his friend’s disappointment in him. For weeks afterwards he seemed to be haunted by images from their wedding, it was still being splashed all over the internet. Their Instagram feeds were loaded with snaps from their honeymoon in the following fortnight. And of course, that infamous first paparazzi snap of the two of them in the airport after their honeymoon, both of them sporting fresh bonding marks on their necks.

 

Boss felt sick, he threw another rage that night. Yuuri could never now truly be his, any last piece of hope he had held onto for so long was now gone. His heart had broken long ago, when he first saw Yuuri skate to Eros, Nikiforov wrapping the omega round his little finger and convincing him that they were meant to be.

 

Yuuri had fallen for the silver-haired alpha’s tricks, and it was clear how smitten he was with the older man. It made Boss’ blood boil.

 

He’d still have Yuuri. They could no longer bond, but he would have him. Yuuri would never leave Nikiforov, but he would have him. If the circumstances are right, anyone can be persuaded to do anything.

 

By some miracle, the Katsuki-Nikiforov couple never noticed that they had a stalker. In fact, they had four. Almost everywhere the couple went, they were followed. Whenever they were in Europe, the alphas and their beta friend were prepared to pounce into action whenever a moment presented itself. Several opportunities arose, but there was always a hitch somewhere down the line – they absolutely could not get caught.

 

After one particularly disastrous attempt, a blazing argument ensued between all four men, particularly because they were fed up of failing at a task which only one of them would benefit from in the end. And so, the plan was changed again. If an opportunity arose where Yuuri was without his alpha but with someone else (which was often the case with him and Chulanont), then they would kidnap the two of them. Yuuri for the Boss, Chulanont for the others. As they were not too keen on keeping two people hidden forever, and money was running very low for them after their years of waiting, they decided that a ransom would be the best way forward.

 

It was a perfect plan, and they just had to wait for the perfect time.

 

*****

 

Boss got word that Yuuri was heading on a short holiday to the Berlin Christmas markets with his husband and some friends. So of course, they packed up the van with whatever they might need and set off.

 

They waited and waited and waited. And eventually, two omegas fell right into their laps. In an area with no CCTV, no alphas nearby, and plenty of dark cover to sneak some unconscious bodies into the back of a van.

 

Everything was perfect. Soon enough, the four of them would be able to break the omegas and mould them however they wanted. Plisetsky was disposable, and it was likely that they would get their ransom money from him. But in the meantime, he was more leverage for Boss to really pull Yuuri over to him.

 

After all his years of waiting, he was now tantalisingly close to having his mate. He waited in the van whilst the other two alphas stalked Yuuri, and his heart leapt when he read the latest text:

 

_Y + Plisetsky separated from alphas_

He was giddy with excitement, but forced himself to sober up. After all, it was one thing to have them away from their alphas, another entirely to get them alone. He bowed his head in prayer that this time, everything would fall into place.

 

Half an hour later, there were three knocks on the back of the van. The alpha jumped with excitement as he unlocked the doors, his blood pounding in his ears as he heard two dull thuds, undoubtedly the unconscious bodies of two omegas being placed in the back. The doors slammed shut, and the small window into the driver’s cab was opened.

 

“We got them, Boss,” the German alpha whispered, the adrenaline making his voice shake.

 

Boss grinned from ear to ear as he turned the key, the van’s engine roaring into life. “Did you give them a scare?”

 

“Oh, yes, and there’s more to come,” came the malicious reply. “We’ll waste no time in breaking them,”

 

The journey passed by mostly without incident. His job was to drive, their job was to scare the omegas. After a few hours, they reached their home. The two small men were lying unconscious in the back of the van, but Yuuri still looked beautiful.

 

Even more so with his arms and legs tied together, unable to leave his alpha this time. His face was red and tear-streaked – apparently he had awoken at some point in the journey, and was sufficiently terrified when met with the other alphas.

 

Reaching out, he lay his hand against Yuuri’s thigh. Joy coursed through him, after so many years of pining and planning, he was finally touching his mate for the first time. His hand moved up Yuuri’s curvaceous form, stopping over his chest to feel his heartbeat.

 

Boss felt like he could breathe for the first time in years. His omega lay beneath him, he had finally gotten what was rightfully his. He scooped the raven’s body up into his arms, and took him down towards the basement.

 

 _I’m sorry it has to be this way, Yuuri._ He mused as they descended the steps to the basement. _But you chose another over me, and we are destined to be._ The door creaked open and he lay Yuuri down on the mattress. _But we can start afresh._ He began to unravel the ropes binding the omega’s limbs. _I’ll make you into who you were always meant to be._

_*****_

 

Yuuri’s nearly-naked body looked divine below him. After taking his friend by force, the alpha had taken him kicking and screaming up the stairs and to his own room. There, he lay the struggling omega down on his crisp bedsheets, letting his pheromones trickle out to make the tiny body be still. He climbed onto the bed on all fours, caging Yuuri’s small frame below him. The omega’s chocolate eyes glared up at the ceiling, refusing to look in the alpha’s direction.

 

At that moment, he didn’t care. Although he had seen Yuuri in this state of undress for a few days now, the omega looked even more beautiful in the natural light filtering in through the window. His body was not as sharp and angular as it probably once was, at the peak of his athletic career. He had always had that omega-esque fullness to his hips and thighs, but now they were even thicker. His skin was littered with pearly white stretch marks, and dimpled in some places. All the alpha wanted to do was knead the flesh in his hands, suck more marks into Yuuri’s skin, bury his nose in the plushness of his inner thighs until he found a scent gland.

 

There was nothing stopping him now.

 

The alpha let out a shaky breath, drinking in the sight of Yuuri beneath him, before leaning down to press soft kisses against the omega’s jaw.

 

“So perfect,” he murmured into the pale skin, slowly making his way down to kiss at the omega’s neck and chest. “So beautiful,” he darted his tongue out to meet a rosy nipple, and the omega shied away from the touch. But he chased him, latching back on when he could. Yuuri brought his weakened hands up to try and push the alpha away, to no avail. Boss sucked at the sensitive skin and broke away with a wet pop, and then quickly found the other bud to circle his tongue around. His large hands smoothed down Yuuri’s sides, squeezing gently when they met his fleshy hips. Gently, he pushed Yuuri’s thighs up off the bed.

 

Letting go of Yuuri’s nipple, he rose back up to lock lips with the omega, who kept his mouth stubbornly shut. Boss kept pushing with his hands until Yuuri’s knees were up by his ears, his legs splayed erotically. Once again, he separated from their kiss and stared down at the body beneath him, those chocolate eyes still refusing to focus on the alpha.

 

He pulled Yuuri’s underwear away deftly, then resumed the place of his hands on the omega’s thighs. He relished in the sight of Yuuri completely exposed beneath him, entirely at the alpha’s mercy.

 

His knot had gone down, yes, but he was still painfully hard. Even fucking Plisetsky hadn’t taken off the edge, it was just like everything else he’d had in the last few years. The only thing that could satisfy him now would be Yuuri.

 

Resting one leg on his shoulder, he released his grasp of Yuuri’s thigh, his hand stroking its way down towards the omega’s puckered hole. Yuuri scrunched his eyes tight and grimaced when Boss pushed two fingers inside, letting out a strangled gasp when he pulled the vibrator out from before.

 

Yuuri’s face was red and contorted, his hips wiggling after the sensation. It was a beautiful sight, and the alpha’s cock twitched in response. He wrapped his hand around his member, the tip ghosting over Yuuri’s hole.

 

“You monster,” Yuuri choked out, his eyes flying open. Those beautiful brown orbs locked with the alpha’s hungry gaze. “You’re still covered in his blood,”

 

Boss glanced down to see that he was painted red, all over his groin and spreading over his thighs. It was mostly still wet, but it had begun to dry in some places. But he didn’t care. He resumed his position, the head of his cock pressing up against Yuuri’s ass. He leaned down to kiss the tears away from the omega’s face.

 

“I’m sorry my love,” he whispered. “From now on, I’m never sleeping with anyone that isn’t you,”

 

Yuuri froze beneath him. He gazed down to see Yuuri’s eyes impossibly wide, rivers of tears streaming down his face. They stared at one another for a moment, Yuuri silently pleading the alpha to back away. But he ignored the omega’s distress and began to slowly move his hips forwards, pinning Yuuri’s arms by his side in preparation.

 

This was it, this was the moment he had been waiting years for. He was finally, finally, after so many poor alternatives, he was finally going to take his mate, they were finally going to become one.

 

The door to his room swung open, the beta stumbling over the threshold. Boss felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, and a snarl ripped its way from his throat. “What?!”

 

“There’s been a development,” the beta wheezed, over-exerted from his run towards the room.

 

“It better be worth my fucking time,” the alpha growled once more, and he felt the omega shrink away in fear below him.

 

The beta smiled, a mad gleam in his eye. “Oh, it is,”

 

Still growling, the alpha climbed off the bed. The moment he was gone, Yuuri wrapped the sheets around himself and curled up against the wall. Good, he wouldn’t have to warn the omega not to move. He wrapped his robe around himself and followed his friend into the hallway.

 

“Sorry Boss, you told us to call you immediately if-,”

 

“Just spit it out,” he groaned.

 

“The ransom for Plisetsky has been raised,”

 

Silence stretched around the two men. Boss could feel his heart beating, every other thought in his mind cleared.

 

“That was quick,” he whispered excitedly. “The deadline isn’t until Friday…” He tailed off for a moment, realisation dawning on him. If they had so quickly raised the money for Plisetsky, they were sure to take Yuuri away from him…

 

Seemingly sensing his distress, the beta patted his shoulder firmly. “Don’t worry, Boss,” he winked. “We still have an ace up our sleeves,”

 

The alpha smirked. Yes, of course, he wouldn’t let Yuuri come into his life just to leave again so quickly.

 

“Good work, lads,” he said, returning the gesture. “Get blondie to put out the ransom delivery instructions. Hope you have sufficiently broken him?”

 

“Not so much me,” the beta frowned. “They have been rough enough with him though, I don’t think I’m needed just yet,”

 

“Good,” he smiled wickedly, then turned back down the corridor. “I’m off for a shower, then spending some time with my Yuuri~ don’t disturb us next time~,”

 

 ****

 

The moment the alpha was gone, Yuuri had to supress himself from going into full-on panic mode.

 

He scanned the room. It was minimal, but surely there was something of use to him. He turned towards the window, pulling it open as wide as he could – but that was only a tiny crack. He could try and shout for help, but he had no idea whether there were other people nearby, and he would just alert the alphas to his attempts to escape. He clicked the window shut once more, the cold air having left his flesh covered in goosepimples. He was still completely naked, but he didn’t want to waste any time dressing himself – he didn’t know how much time he had.

 

He sneaked over to the door, pressing his ear against it. He could hear a muffled conversation, but could not pick up any words. He pulled back and began to look around the room, as quietly as he could. And when he turned to the desk, he felt as though an angel must be watching over him.

 

A phone. A mobile phone.

 

It sat face-up on the counter, and a shiver rolled down Yuuri’s spine. This was too easy… it must be some sort of trick…

 

Glancing back at the door, he shook himself out of it. He had to get on with something whilst he was alone, he might never have this opportunity again. Snatching the phone up, he pushed the home button to see his own face staring back up at him from the screen.

 

It was an old, old, _old_ picture of him. It must have been from his university days, only Phichit had the power to dress him up like that. He posed, smiling for the camera, his arms out of frame as they were wrapped around two other people. The picture was slightly grainy, it was clearly highly zoomed-in and the people next to him cropped out. Skin-tight black jeans clung to his legs, and a flowy white top hung from his shoulders, exposing his toned stomach. His hair was pushed back, and he wore a genuinely large smile, his cheeks tinged pink from exertion.

 

God, this guy was a creep. Yuuri didn’t even want to think about how long ago this picture would have been posted on Phichit’s Instagram. He pressed the homebutton again, his heart sinking when he saw that the phone was password protected. He bit his bottom lip, panic beginning to wash over him again. _Think, Yuuri._ He didn’t know this man… he only knew that he was some sort of stalker. _Think like a stalker, Yuuri._

He held his breath as he typed in the numbers. **291193.** When the home screen lit up in full, Yuuri nearly burst into tears. He was so joyful that he had gotten in, almost forgetting how creepy it was that this random stalker had Yuuri’s birthdate as his phone lock. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he formed a text message, luckily he knew Victor’s phone number off by heart.

 

**Vicchan, it’s Yuuri**

**DO NOT REPLY TO THIS**

**Trace this number if you can**

**I love you I love you I love you**

As soon as the sent receipt came up, Yuuri deleted the text. He was so, so tempted to call, but he felt as though that would be pushing his luck. He placed the phone back down on the desk, and hurried back onto the bed. He wrapped the sheets around him and let out a shaky breath. He prayed that Victor would get the message soon, prayed that they would be able to find him and Yurio.

 

Yuuri’s position had not changed at all when the alpha returned. He cringed further into the sheets as the alpha approached, his body shivering with fear. Boss dropped the towel from around his waist, and he knelt down on the bed, looming above Yuuri.

 

“I’m sorry I was gone so long,” he cooed into Yuuri’s ear, prying the sheets away from his grasp. “Let’s have a cuddle to make up for it,”

 

Yuuri remained frozen in place, but let the sheets be tugged from his hands. Boss smoothed out the sheets and lay down, covering his legs and abdomen. With one arm, he propped his head up, and he extended the other out to the omega. “Come and lie with me, Yuuri,” he purred, a soft smile playing on his lips. Yuuri looked at him with those wide eyes again, his mouth wobbling as if he were about to cry. But slowly, slowly he lowered himself down on the mattress. He shuffled uncomfortably, until he was lay stiffly on his back. But, Boss wrapped his free arm around the omega’s waist, twisting the small body and pulling it close. Yuuri yelped at the movement, but made no attempt to get away.

 

“Good boy,” the alpha purred, nuzzling into the back of Yuuri’s neck. He felt a warmth press against his thigh as Boss began pressing feather-light kisses onto his neck. He pulled his knees up, pushing his hips as far away from the alpha as possible. Without breaking his trail of kisses, the alpha tightened his grip around Yuuri’s waist and pulled, so their bodies were pressed together. A hand ran down Yuuri’s hip, nails scratching lightly at the soft skin of his thigh, sending a shiver down the omega’s spine.

 

A gasp escaped Yuuri’s lips as the alpha began rubbing himself against his ass, the sensation of a growing erection pressing against him made Yuuri want to be sick. He tried to squirm away, but the alpha kept him pinned in place. He felt it slip between his thighs, felt the wet drag of the head push over his skin.

 

“Stop,” he choked, reaching a hand back to try and push the alpha’s hips away. But, he just found himself pinned onto his back, caged beneath the larger man’s arms.

 

“Tell me, Yuuri,” the alpha whispered, leaning down to kiss along Yuuri’s jaw. “What do you like? I want to make you happy,”

 

“Let me go,” Yuuri replied, pushing his hands against the alpha’s broad chest. “Let us both go,”

 

“Tell me,” the alpha repeated, nipping at the omega’s neck.

 

“I-I…” Yuuri stammered, tears rolling down his face. “I like not being locked up by some psycho rapist,”

 

He barely even reacted when the alpha slapped him across the face. “I like not being knocked unconscious and dragged away from my husband,”

 

The alpha was growling now, teeth bared as his eyes bored holes into Yuuri’s own. “I like not being forced to torture my friend,”

 

The alpha’s hands snapped up and around Yuuri’s neck. “Careful,” he snarled.

 

“I’d like to be away from here, to never see your disgusting face again!” Yuuri barely finished the sentence as the hands around his neck squeezed. He fought to claw them away with his own nails, but the alpha didn’t even flinch.

 

“Fine,” the alpha spat. “If you won’t tell me what you like, I’ll just have to figure it out for myself,”

 

Yuuri barely had time to gasp for breath when Boss released his neck, before his body was flipped stomach-down onto the bed. He buried his face in the pillow as his ass was hauled up into the air.

 

“That’s it,” the alpha purred, running a finger down Yuuri’s spine. “Be a good omega, and don’t scream,”

 

Yuuri bit down on the pillow, willing himself to block everything out.

 

_Victor got my message. He’ll come and save us soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! 
> 
> I wanted to end the chapter a bit differently but I think it dragged on enough lmao. 
> 
> As for when to expect the next chapter, I don't want to make any promises I can't keep.   
> There's so much going on in my life right now, I'm finding it difficult to find time for writing this story.   
> However, I will keep writing! I love writing this and want to see it through, especially seeing other people enjoying it :) 
> 
> Thank you guys for your comments, kudos and support, it means the world <3


	15. On the Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crikey, this is the longest I've ever made you guys wait, I am so sorry!
> 
> I think the last chapter kind of messed up and didn't show as an update because I just edited the chapter instead of deleting and writing a new one? So make sure you have read that one before this! 
> 
> This chapter is kind of setting up for stuff to happen, so it's not the most dramatic or anything.  
> (I feel like I peaked in my writing last chapter lmao, hence the delay on this one) 
> 
> Enjoy! <3

How long has it been? An hour? A day? A week?

Yuuri didn’t know, nor did he care now. All he felt was pain. Constant and unending, no escape in sight. Feelings of sorrow and anger had retreated quickly, the hurt was too overwhelming to think of anything else. His vision had failed him quickly, plunging him into a deep abyss of darkness, giving him no concept of time or space. At first, there was a clear epicentre to the pain, the relentless thrusting of the alpha above him; but soon the shock had set in, and now his whole body was on fire.

A voice would pierce through the darkness on occasion. Mostly it said his name, moaning brokenly. Other times, the taunts would leave Yuuri with a fresh peak of pain, even when he thought it could get no worse.

“You are mine now,”

“There is a way to break bonds,”

“In time, you will love me as I love you,”

Yuuri would scream, but the sound would catch in his throat. He felt like he was in a nightmare, unable to speak or move, at the complete mercy of the pain.

Spots of light began to dance in front of him. White flashes morphing into rainbows, pooling outwards like ripples on a lake. He felt acutely aware of his breathing, ragged and heavy; his eyes blinking open through the haze. A great weight pinned him down, suffocating him, heaving on top of him. He heard his own strangled gasp when he tried to move, a sharp spike of pain in his most intimate of areas, making way for something large and throbbing.

“Oh baby, well done,” came the voice. “You’ve taken my knot so well,”

Yuuri was pulled around onto his side, the hot weight shifting away and he could finally breathe again. He took in greedy gulps of air, the stretch of each rib burning dully. He was still stretched around the knot, growing no more accustomed to it no matter how many minutes past.

The breathing of the alpha behind him tailed off to a normal pace, at which point burning kisses were planted over every centimetre of his skin, accompanied by more murmurs.

“I’ve waited so long for this Yuuri,” came a low grumble. “And it was well worth the wait. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did,”

A wave of nausea coursed through Yuuri’s body. He clapped his hands to his mouth, trying and failing to suppress a wretch.

“Overwhelming, isn’t it?” the alpha chuckled. “I had to guess, but was that what you liked?”

Yuuri shook his head with vigour, his brain slamming against his skull with every movement.

“No?” the alpha growled. “If you won’t tell me, Yuuri, then it’s trial and error on my part. But I don’t mind, we have plenty of time to get to know each other. But tell me, what do you like?”

Bile bubbled up in the back of Yuuri’s throat. “Victor,” he choked out, his voice raspy.

The alpha dug his nails into the flesh of Yuuri’s abdomen, causing the omega to shudder in pain and in fear. His insides roiled, threatening to vomit up the meagre contents of his stomach. Yuuri groaned, feeling his skin prickle with sweat. A weight pressed against his forehead, and he whimpered pitifully.

“You’re burning up,” the alpha said, a more gentle lilt to his voice now. “I didn’t think that…”  
He trailed off, his breath coming in short sharp bursts against Yuuri’s neck. And then, his whole body stiffened and he pulled the omega closer. “It shouldn’t happen like this,” he growled.

His rapid change in tone made Yuuri’s head spin, but mercifully the knot had begun to deflate. The alpha pulled away from Yuuri, and for the first time in hours, or days, or weeks, Yuuri felt his muscles begin to relax. He blinked his eyes open, although it made little difference. The room was shrouded in darkness, the sun having set long ago. Everything blurred together without his glasses. A sharp pain jolted through his lower spine as he was rolled onto his back. His eyes met with those of his rapist, but he had no fight left to give. Although the alpha loomed over him, his hands were gentle, trembling slightly as he wrapped Yuuri in the covers, tucking him snugly into the bed.

“Oh, Yuuri,” the alpha crooned, laying his naked body beside Yuuri’s. “Don’t you see? Victor isn’t going to want you now,”

“Liar,” came Yuuri’s reply, harsh and rough against his throat.

“Don’t try to deny it Yuuri,” the alpha continued, hugging his arm around Yuuri’s waist. “Victor has never loved you, and you know it,”

“Liar!” Yuuri said, more forcefully this time.

“How many others could Victor have had, hm?” the alpha taunted, his face now hovering above Yuuri’s again. “Everyone knows he’d fuck anything with a pulse. Everyone know he’s slept with countless other omegas, betas and even other alphas. He couldn’t even keep his dick in his pants whilst doing his job, taking every opportunity to shag Giacometti that he could,”

Yuuri turned to bury his face in the pillow, tears welling up in his eyes. Victor had told Yuuri everything from his past, he was an open book. He trusted Yuuri indefinitely, and Yuuri never judged him. Yes, he used to sleep with Chris. No, Yuuri did not care. He trusted the alpha too. He listened to everything that Victor had told him, and in the end it had never made a difference. He had always thought that he’d loved Victor from afar, but that was never the case. Admired him? Yes. Fantasized about him? Yes. But it wasn’t until he knew Victor, truly knew him, that he fell in love. They opened their hearts to one another slowly, over time. They built a relationship on mutual trust and respect, and now it was a castle on a cloud, a sturdy structure that they had built together brick by brick, one that did not falter by anything from Victor’s past. Because in the end, Yuuri loved Victor for being Victor, and that was all that mattered.

And now, another alpha had taken a battering ram to their gates, desperate to invade their utopia. The wood was splintering, the hinges buckling. The alpha was getting in, and it was Yuuri’s weaknesses, it was always his weaknesses, that were allowing such a thing.

“Why do you think he wanted you of all people, Yuuri?” the alpha sneered, pinning Yuuri down to the bed with one hand, turning his tear-streaked face back towards him with the other. “You’re the only person he has ever had to himself. You’re the only pure thing he’s ever had in his bed. It’s so obvious how much Victor ‘Living Legend’ Nikiforov hates to share. That fake smile he wore everywhere, practically screaming at how much he despised sharing the limelight with anyone. On every podium you can see the disdain he has for his fellow skaters, loath to share the spotlight with anyone even if they were beneath him,”

 _You’re wrong, you’re so wrong_. Yuuri wanted to scream, but all that came out was a sob. _You don’t know him, you’re wrong._

“And then you come along, already so devoted to him, it took him next to no effort. And I’m sorry that you fell for him, Yuuri, I should have been there to stop that. You’re the only thing he has ever had to himself, and now…” the alpha cupped Yuuri’s face with his hand, running his thumb along the omega’s bottom lip. His other had squeezed at the flesh of Yuuri’s thigh. “…now that isn’t the case,”

Hot and heavy tears ran down Yuuri’s face. Victor didn’t think like that. Victor loved him. Victor knows the circumstances, knows that Yuuri would never cheat on him. But that didn’t stop the guilt. They married and bonded to show the world that they are committed to one another, and Yuuri had of course always kept those promises. But now here he was, lying in the bed of another alpha, the evidence of his infidelity clinging to his inner thighs.

“Shh, don’t cry,” the alpha murmured, wiping away the cascade of tears from Yuuri’s cheeks. “I’ve got you, you don’t need to worry about him anymore,”

Yuuri broke into loud sobs, his chest heaving with the effort. He tried to push the alpha away, but ended up in his arms, trapped once again against his naked chest. He felt used, disgusting. Even if Victor still wanted him after this, Yuuri knew that he deserved so much better.

***

“Do I really have to do this?” Victor groaned as Yakov pushed him down into a salon chair. “My husband and friend are being held hostage, I should be allowed to look like shit,”

The makeup artist busied herself with matching a foundation to his skintone, pretending not to listen to their conversation whilst she hurried to get the alpha ready for the cameras.

“At least we agree on one thing, Vitya,” Yakov sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You do look like shit,”

A small smile ghosted over Victor’s lips. Yakov never did quite grasp Victor’s sense of humour. The poor man had spent the last few hours on the phone negotiating with news outlets to get the highest possible donation for Victor’s interview. Of course, he’d locked down a deal for nearly eighty thousand Euros from a German news source, as the country was desperate to keep everything to do with the incident within their borders. Additionally, Yakov had come up with the genius idea of charging news outlets one thousand each to even put an offer in. So all in all, he had raised a substantial amount of money for the cause.

“You wound me, Yakov,” Victor replied dramatically. “But you are quite right, this poor girl does have her work cut out for her,”

The makeup artist blushed slightly at the words, but said nothing as she began to even out Victor’s skintone. He watched in the mirror as his blotchy red face was painted back to his natural porcelain shade, the brush smoothing away the blemishes in the blink of an eye. Victor could almost convince himself that he looked good, especially as the dark purple rings beneath his eyes vanished. Once his face was powdered down and a hint of mascara tinged his eyelashes, he was grateful. He’d not looked this alive in days.

The alpha is taken back to his youth for a moment. It was odd, as he wore makeup a lot as an adult, especially whilst competing. But he remembers the first time he’d applied anything to his face; he was in his early teens, and had spent the night at Georgi’s for a sleepover. His friend had snuck into his mother’s makeup bag and was fully prepared to beg Victor to let them play with the creams and powders. But in the end there was no need – Victor’s eyes sparkled when he saw the makeup and he was desperate to see how he would look with it on. There were so many giggles coming from Georgi’s room that night as they practiced their ‘looks’, the two boys doubled over with laughter each time they examined their handiwork in the mirror. They turned up to the rink the next day with black khol surrounding their eyes, their lips painted a deep red, and far too much blush adorning their cheekbones.

They thought they looked _brilliant_.

Mila forced them to pose for a photo immediately, putting on an Oscar-worthy façade of awe as she immortalised their mistake. Eventually of course, everyone’s resolve cracked, the majority of the rink bursting into laughter as Mila paraded around the photo on her phone. Georgi skated after her as best he could, screaming at her to ‘stop being so mean’ and ‘do not put that online’. Victor found the whole thing hilarious, especially when he realised just how bad they both looked under the fluorescent lights of the rink. He tried to wash it off in the bathroom, but the eyeliner just turned him into a racoon, and he and all his friends were back in hysterics (except for Georgi, who had stormed off home in a huff). The whole affair even got a fond smile out of Yakov, before he barked at them all to get back to practice.

Georgi returned very sullen the next day, having been scolded by his mother for stealing her expensive cosmetics. Victor turned up to the rink in a much better mood, albeit with a nasty sty brewing in his eyelid, but that never stopped him wearing more in the future.

“Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov,” a voice snapped him out of his memories. “Five minutes,”

Taking a deep breath, Victor rose from his chair. Yakov gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.

“Otto is right behind the camera,” his ex-coach reminded him as they began to walk towards the makeshift set. “It is not live so take as much time as you need to answer each question,”

Victor nodded, his stomach suddenly fluttering with nerves. He almost wanted to bolt out of the door, to hide himself away from the world. But Yuuri was depending on him to do this, so he steeled himself for the oncoming interrogation.

“I need to get in contact with Yuuri’s parents, but I regrettably do not have their numbers,” Yakov said quickly, as if he had intended to bring it up earlier. “May I take them from your phone?”

“Of course, of course,” Victor replied absentmindedly. A moment passed until he noticed Yakov staring at him expectanly. “What?”

“Where is it?”

“Oh! It’s in my room… or it could be in Chris’s… I haven’t really been using it…”

Yakov smiled sympathetically. “No worries, Vitya, I will find it. Good luck out there, I’ll be back as soon as I can,”

Victor wrapped his arms around the older man, giving him a tight hug. “Thank you,”

****

Otabek sat with his head in his hands on the edge of the bed. Victor was out there right now doing his interview, he should be there to support his friend. He felt so selfish, hiding himself away like this, but he couldn’t help it.

Not to mention he also felt incredibly stupid for needing the space. Whatever happened now, his Yuri was guaranteed his freedom. But was it really freedom? Otabek had signed his life away and Yuri’s with it. He was so excited to propose, but now it carried the weight of expectation and duty. It felt false and forced, now that he had signed his name on a piece of paper. He should really have thought about it more, gotten someone else to look over the contract… but that was all too late now.

Sighing, he pulled his phone out from his pocket. It had been pinging away incessantly over the last few days, so he put it on silent and ignored it. However, with the latest news of Yuri’s safety, he figured that he should reply to some messages regarding.

Twitter was of course ridiculous, and scrolling through his mentions did bring a small smile to his face. So many people were wishing him well, and so many more were letting them know that they had donated. He composed a tweet, purely to let his fans know that he had seen and appreciated all of their kind words. Once posted, he silenced twitter yet again and went on to reply to some personal messages.

His public email had been flooded with spam over the last few days, so he had turned all notifications off. He could deal with sorting through them when he was in a better headspace. However, he had kept his personal email active, so he couldn’t help but frown when he saw some sort of spam at the top of his inbox.

**Alpha Otabek Altin, Your Omega Has A Message For You**

The sender had somehow managed to block their email from sight, which further increased Otabek’s worries. His stomach began to churn as he waited for the email to load.

**Your lovely omega has been such wonderful company to us in the last few days, and we have decided to reward him.**   
**Attached is a video containing some very important details.**   
**If this gets out to the public, then Yuri may not stay as safe as you think he is.**

Otabek’s hand trembled as he clicked on the embedded video. It just showed his Yura, white as a sheet but blotchy, eyes red raw and dead behind the irises. His voice was monotone and almost child-like as he sounded out the English obviously written before him. Otabek felt tears pricking the back of his eyes as he forced himself to watch. Yuri was explaining the plan for his release, coupled with collecting the ransom. The blonde didn’t seem to register this as he explained in detail how he would be exchanged for the money.

The video ended and Otabek was left staring at his own shocked expression in the reflection of his phone’s black screen. He gulped hard, his mouth having dried up during the clip. Part of him wanted to play it again, to remind him that Yuri was still alive and that a plan had been made for his release; however he wasn’t sure he could face seeing his beloved in that state again.

Once the initial shock finally wore off, he rose to his feet and began pacing the room. He tapped out a text to Helena to tell her to come to his room at once, and then was left prowling like a caged animal, worrying his hands together in front of his chest.

Surprisingly few minutes passed before there was a brisk knock at his door. He swung it open to see Helena stood in the doorway, her face a mask of neutrality.

“Mr Altin,” she began, slightly short of breath. “What can I do for you?”

Otabek gestured for her to come in and take a seat. She crossed the room with long strides to sit on an armchair near the window. She sat with her legs crossed, her fingers interlaced and wrapped around her topmost knee.

“Otto has remained downstairs whilst Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov proceeds with his interview, but he will of course be kept up-to-date with our conversation if it concerns the investigation,” Otabek nodded ever so slightly as he took up the chair opposite. She evidently was confused by his stoic nature, as she frowned slightly before continuing. “Unless this is a conversation you want to stay between the two of us?”

Otabek’s intense gaze landed on her face, his jaw clenched. He decided that there was nothing that he could say to explain – at least without him breaking composure – so he merely handed her his phone, the email still open on the screen. Her eyes went wide as she read the short message, before she glanced back up at the alpha.

“Have you watched this video?” she asked gently, to which Otabek nodded, his eyes cast down to the ground. “May I watch it now? Or would you prefer to be out of the room?”

He looked back up at her, his sight blurred by tears. “Go ahead,” he replied, his voice thick.

The video played again, Yuri’s hollow voice echoing through Otabek’s brain. His love was in unimaginable pain, and there was nothing he could do.

You’ve done everything you can. He reassured himself. You have bought back Yuri’s freedom.

“This is…” Helena breathed out once the video ended. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Mr Altin. Does anybody else know?”

Otabek shook his head no, still unable to meet her gaze.

“I think it is best that as few people as possible see this, given its highly upsetting nature,” the unspoken reference to Victor’s outburst at the last video clip hung heavy in the air. “I will pass this on to the appropriate people, and inform Otto. However, this information is not something we can hide from others,”

Otabek’s head snapped up. “We can’t tell anyone else! They’ll hurt him!”

“My apologies, Mr Altin, I only meant those closest to you,” Helena said, her voice still calm in the face of the alpha’s panic. “Although I think it is… unwise to show the video to anyone else, I feel that this is information we must share with Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov, his family, Mr Plistetsky and Mr Feltsman,”

“Y-yes,” Otabek stammered, his head reeling from the panic. “O-of course. But, if it is alright, I want you to be the one to tell them. I’d prefer not to be present for it,”

“Not a problem, Mr Altin,” she replied, her voice still soothing Otabek’s ragged nerves. “This must be a very hard time for you, and it goes without saying that I am all ears should you ever have any other worries,”

“Th-thank you,” Otabek could feel the colour rising to his cheeks. He was quickly distracted by a loud knock on the door. He and Helena exchanged glances. “Who is it?” he called out.

“Otabek, it’s Yakov. I believe Helena is with you?” He sounded out of breath.

“Come in,” he called, and the older man burst through the door and practically fell at Helena’s feet.

“You need to see this,” he panted, holding a phone towards her.

****

Yakov had spent the last ten minutes rifling through Chris’s room. Although the beta was present and more than happy to help, he felt wrong going through another man’s belongings.

“God knows where he put it,” Chris smiled, tossing underwear out of his side drawer. “But I’m certain he left it in here,”

The older man grunted in reply as he upturned his second drawer. Victor’s belonging were a mess, having been recovered from his previous room’s state. He felt nothing but squishy fabric in his hands, his phone was not there either.

“Sorry I can’t help any,” Chris continued. “Unfortunately I don’t have any of the Katsuki’s contacts besides Yuuri himself,” The blonde tried to hide it, but his voice was tinged with sadness.

Yakov put everything back with a sigh and straightened up. He should have taken up Chris’s offer of searching the room by himself – his old joints were not up to this anymore. But, two pairs of hands were better than one, he supposed, so he continued on to the other side of the room.

 _Vitya has always been scatter-brained_. Yakov mused. _But Yuuri is quite successful in keeping him in check. Without each other, they would both be a mess._

Yakov’s own thoughts froze him on the spot. There was a very real possibility now that they would be without one another. He knew it would break Victor, but God only knows what hell Yuuri was living through right now. The younger man had been in his prayers every night, alongside Victor. He let out a shaky breath, trying to remind himself of the fact that Yura was safe. He pulled out the next drawer, containing very neatly folded clothes that looked too small to be Victor’s. With a jolt, he realised that these were Yuuri’s clothes. As he lifted up the first shirt, a gleam caught his eye. Victor’s phone lay nestled in the pile of clothes.

“Got it,” he declared, earning a small cheer from Chris. It was very low on battery, and the homepage was flooded with notifications. No wonder Vitya had decided to hide it away. “Chris, could you help me? I don’t understand how these new models work,”

“Sure,” Chris giggled, taking the phone away from him. “What is it you need again?”

“The numbers for the Katsuki family members. Any of them, but preferably all,”

“Okay, got it. Looks like we’re in luck, one of them texted him recently by the looks of it. I don’t know anyone else who calls him-,” Chris’s voice died in his throat. Yakov looked over at him, puzzled. The blonde was staring wide-eyed at the phone in his hands. The older man took it from him to read the text himself. He damn near dropped the phone.

“Oh my God,” he whispered. Chris was already tapping away frantically on his own phone.

A few moments passed, the shock still buzzing through the air.

“Helena is in Otabek’s room, according to Otto, take it to her!”

Yakov didn’t need telling twice. He dashed out of the room, past the elevator that he was too impatient to wait for. He ignored the protesting of his knees as he hurried down the stairs, clinging to Victor’s phone in his hand. He knocked harshly on Otabek’s door, whisking himself inside as soon as he could.

“You need to see this,” he panted, thrusting the phone into Helena’s hand. She looked at it for a moment, seemingly confused. Yakov snatched it back to unlock it, so that she could read what he had read.

Her eyes widened as they flicked across the screen.

“What is it?” Otabek asked, his tone hushed.

Helena glanced at Yakov, who nodded once, before she turned her head back towards the Kazakh.

**“Vicchan, it’s Yuuri**   
**DO NOT REPLY TO THIS**   
**Trace this number if you can**   
**I love you I love you I love you,”**

Otabek’s hands flew to his mouth. “Yuuri? Yuuri Katsuki?”

“Yes,” breathed Yakov. “We must tell Vitya -,”

“Wait!” Helena interrupted. “We have to wait until the interview is over, and this could be a hoax. We need to make sure before we tell him,”

“I can garauntee that’s him,” came a smooth voice from the doorway. Chris stood stone-faced at the far end of Otabek’s room. “The only people in the world that call Victor by that name is Yuuri’s family. Not even Yuuri himself most of the time. He’s written that so we know exactly who it is,”

“The text was meant for Victor,” Otabek added. “He should be informed immediately,”

“Okay,” sighed Helena, standing. “The second his interview is over, we will tell him,” she held up a hand to stop the oncoming protests. “If this is a hoax, and we prevent Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov from completing his interview, there is a high chance that the donation will be retracted, and we cannot risk that,”

The men in the room fell silent at the thought.

“In the meantime, we will gather Mr Katisuki-Nikiforov’s family, and Otto will escort him here the moment he is available,”

****

The interviewer shook his hand firmly, thanking him for his time. A watery smile danced across his face. It was finally over. He took a shaky exhale as she rattled off the information for donation towards the camera. He had done it, had done his bit for his Yuuri. Emotions were riding so high in his head, he just wanted to collapse onto a bed.

Victor rose shortly after the director yelled ‘cut’, his head spinning slightly. Otto was suddenly at his side, a bottle of cold water in his hands. Victor took it wordlessly, grateful for its soothing nature against his throat. He was tense and his mouth felt scratchy after all the talking he had done, the lump in his throat having not died down despite the fact that he had already cried.

His ears were ringing as Otto led him gently out of the makeshift studio and towards the elevator. One inside, Victor slumped against the wall, his head tilted up to the mirrored ceiling.

 _Waterproof mascara._ He mused as he saw his reflection, looking a lot more put-together than he felt. All he could feel was exhaustion from his emotionally draining morning. He was pulled back to the present by the ping of the lift when it reached the seventh floor.

“This is us, Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov,” said Otto, gesturing for Victor to leave.

 _Oh, we must have been moved_. Victor thought as he stepped out. _Or I really am losing my mind_.

Bizarrely, Otto knocked on the hotel room door, instead of asking Victor for his keys. Victor was fed up of thinking now, he just wanted to go to bed.

Which was apparently not an option, as he entered the room only to be faced with all of his friends and family.

“Vitya,” greeted Yakov, wrapping an arm around the alpha’s shoulders and guiding him towards a chair. Victor looked over at his family, who seemed just as confused as he was.

“Apologies for the impromptu meeting,” Helena began. “But we have some very important news.

“Firstly, we have been contacted by the kidnappers regarding exchange of ransom money and the release of their hostages,” Victor’s interest piqued at that, and he sat forward slightly in his chair, the weight of his day so far suddenly a lot lighter. “Secondly, we have strong reason to believe that Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov has made contact with us,”

A collective gasp came from the Katsuki family, but Victor sat frozen in his chair.

“Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov,” Helena turned to him and handed him his phone. “You received this text from an unsaved number, which we are in the process of tracing. We are extremely certain that it came from your husband,”

Victor felt faint as his phone was handed to him. The message was as clear as day.

“That’s him,” he whispered, his voice cracking. He dropped his phone into his lap and slumped back against the chair. He carded his hands through his silver hair, ignoring the strands that fell out as he did so.

“Our plan of action is as follows:  
Trace the number and correlate it with the location of any vehicles seen on CCTV the night of the kidnapping, the time of which provided by Mr Yuri Plisetsky’s phone. As we are doing this, we will announce that the total ransom has now been reached. More contact with us means a higher chance of them slipping up in covering their steps, aiding us in finding their location. Once the location has been found, the police will put into motion a rescue,”

Victor could feel his chest collapsing in on itself. A sob ripped itself from his throat, the exhaustion and relief crashing down on him at once. Soon, he was enveloped in a familiar scent and wrapped in a warm embrace.

“He’s going to be safe, Vicchan,” Hiroko sobbed. “Our Yuuri is coming back to us,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can probably tell, I was really struggling to write anything decent for Victor's interview. Plus given that we have seen his POV multiple times, I didn't feel it would really add anything to the story. Sorry if anyone was looking forward to that! 
> 
> I am working very hard on my studying as I have important exams coming up, not to mention the significant writers block that prevented me from getting this chapter out sooner. Also, three cheers for poor mental health ruining everything, Yay!  
> However, I feel back in the swing of things now and will hopefully get back to updating more regularly. I already have several chapters drafted, including recovery chapters which I am very excited to get to :) 
> 
> Hope that this chapter was worth the wait somewhat, but I promise that the next one will be better.
> 
> Until next time <3


	16. Four Million

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> Rape, non-con, implied rape.

Yuuri hated the feeling of his naked skin against the alpha’s. He had lowered them into a deep bath, lying Yuuri down against his chest. Whatever the larger man was saying, Yuuri couldn’t hear it. He could feel himself dropping again, his vision tunnelling and his ears ringing, but he embraced it. The depravation of his senses meant that he could forget where he was and who he was with.

 

He had slept, but for how long he did not know; and nor did it matter, as he still felt exhausted. Every piece of food put in front of him he had eaten without complaint, he knew better than to refuse things in this hellhole now. The steaming water lapping against his clammy skin was his only form of respite, helping to dull the ache in his muscles. Watching the steam rise reminded him somewhat of home, of the fond memories of the Onsen. It kept his last thread of sanity from snapping. That, and how Yuri still needed him. If he could persuade the alpha somehow to release Yuri, if he could give himself up to save the younger man from whatever kay ahead, he would.

 

Sharp pain once again spiked through his lower back, and he knew what that meant. It was pointless to resist. The alpha had already taken him, multiple times, what was one more? It was easier to let him than resist; he was too exhausted to anyway. Who knows, maybe if he kept this up, the alpha would grow bored of him, get rid of him in one way or another.

 

The water was cool by the time the alpha found his release, lapping against Yuuri’s pale skin and sloshing over the edge of the tub. Yuuri wished that he would have passed out during the ordeal. Eventually, after the alpha had regained his breath, he was pulled out of the bath and carried back down to the bedroom, where he was laid on a towel and patted dry by confusingly gentle hands.

 

“Yuuri,” the alpha murmured, now rubbing his fingertips against the omega’s towel-covered scalp. “Shall we go and make dinner?”

 

 _I can’t even stand up on my own._ Yuuri would have snapped, if he weren’t so exhausted. _How am I supposed to make dinner?_

“Come on, you can keep me company whilst I make some food,” The alpha continued as he shimmied Yuuri’s legs into some sweatpants. Yuuri felt like a ragdoll being dressed by someone else, and the clothes stank of the alpha. Waves of nausea coursed through him as he was led stumbling to the kitchen.

 

Yuuri collapsed on a wooden chair when they reached their destination, his chest heaving. The alpha barely paid him any attention, busying himself with cooking.

 

“Yurio,” the omega croaked. “Let… let him go,”

 

All that could be heard in the kitchen was the rhythmic tapping of the knife against the chopping board.

 

 _Of course._ He thought. _There’s no point in me saying such things anymore._

“Please,” he croaked. “At least let me know if he is okay,”

 

The alpha just scraped the chopped vegetables into a pan.

 

“Please, can I see him?” he pushed.

 

Still, the alpha made no attempt to reply, simply ignoring Yuuri in favour of frying the vegetables. Yuuri gave up with a sigh, leaning back against the chair. Closing his eyes, he could almost take himself back to happier memories. As the aromas of the cooking filled his nostrils, he was transported back to his old apartment in Detroit, where he and Phichit would spend hours slaving away over the cooker, trying desperately to replicate their favourite dishes from home. They were never the same of course, but the company was always brilliant.

 

As further scents were added into the mixture, his thoughts then shifted to his and Victor’s apartment when they still lived in St Petersburg. His husband liked to pretend that he was a terrible cook, but only because he would prefer to eat Yuuri’s cooking and preferred Japanese cuisine. However, Yuuri loved cooking and lived to make the love of his life happy, so took up the job in the kitchen without much complaint (in exchange for Victor doing the dishes, of course).

 

Yuuri was snapped out of his thoughts far too quickly when a bowl was practically slammed onto the table in front of him. He stared, bleary-eyed at its contents, gut-wrenchingly familiar.

 

Boss leaned over and placed a kiss to Yuuri’s forehead. “I made your favourite,”

 

Yuuri never imagined a day when he wouldn’t want to eat Katsudon. Yet here he was, staring down at the steaming bowl, his stomach churning. He clapped his hand over his mouth and tried to suppress a gag.

 

“You’re welcome,” the alpha said, stroking Yuuri’s hair before taking a seat beside his own pork cutlet bowl.

 

 _How dare you._ Thought Yuuri, pushing the bowl away. _How dare you taint every happy memory of mine._

“What’s the matter, Yuuri?” The alpha asked, a tinge of threat in his voice. “I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting this for you,”

 

Yuuri curled in on himself, supressing a full-body sob as the tears rolled hot down his cheeks. He hated this man, hated him with his entire being. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever even experienced hate before; nobody had ever wronged him in such a way that deserved those feelings. But opposite him sat a man whose sole purpose in life appeared to be to rip Yuuri’s soul out, take everything he held dear and trample all over it, and then hand Yuuri the tatters and expect him to smile.

 

“Fuck you!” Yuuri spat. He’d never in words be able to express the contempt he held for this man. “Fuck you!”

 

A pitiful cry erupted from his throat as the alpha’s hand dug into his scalp, wrenching him up to standing by his hair. “Say that again?” the alpha growled down Yuuri’s ear.

 

“I said fuck you! You’re evil! You’re all evil!”

 

With a snarl, the alpha dragged him by the hair out of the room. Yuuri just looked down at his feet through his tears, watched as they began to descend down stairs into the hauntingly familiar cold. He barely managed to break his fall with his arms as he was thrown to the ground.

 

“You want to be ungrateful? Fine.” The alpha said, eerily calm as he loomed over Yuuri. “At this point, it’s like you’re asking to be punished,”

 

Yuuri strained his neck to look up at the alpha in disdain, but he froze mid-way. Behind alpha was the sofa, a deathly pale figure curled up on top of it.

 

“Yurio!” he cried, lurching forward to try to reach the younger omega. But he was pushed backwards by the alpha’s foot. Yuuri clawed at his leg, fighting past him until he was by his friend’s side. “Yurio! Yurio!” he cried, shaking the young man vigorously. He almost cried with relief when Yuri groaned beneath him, indicating that he was at least conscious.

 

Boss pulled Yuuri away by the arm, leaving the omega to see the other two alphas stood beside Yuri’s limp form. Yuuri went limp when he saw that one of them was holding a knife. He let himself be dragged along the floor a short distance until Boss stopped, grabbed him by the jaw and forced him to look away from Yuri.

 

“You’re both whiny bitches,” Boss sighed, couching down beside Yuuri. “Why don’t you put that mouth of yours to good use for once?”

 

Yuuri felt his stomach drop at the implication.

 

“And before you think of fighting, I’ll remind you of the position your little friend is in over there,”

 

Yuuri’s jaw was released, so he slowly turned back around to face the sofa. Now, the other two alphas sat with Yuri between them, slumped back against the cushions, his eyes glazed over. One alpha twirled the knife in his hands, flashing an insidious smile Yuuri’s way. His mouth dried up, he noticed as he swallowed nervously.

 

 _Just get it over with._ He told himself, turning back around to face the alpha, who had now risen to his feet. _Just make him feel good, get it over with and they won’t hurt Yurio._

The alpha hummed. “You look even prettier on your knees,”

 

The flush of heat to Yuuri’s cheeks was alarming. He grit his teeth, fighting with himself to retaliate. All this disgusting alpha wanted to do was humiliate him, and it burned Yuuri to his core that it was working.

 

“Take it slow,” the alpha instructed. “And I’ll know if you’re not trying your best,”

 

Shameful tears prickled in Yuuri’s eyes as he reached his shaking hands up to waistband of the alpha’s sweatpants. His breath hitched when he saw the growing bulge beneath the alpha’s underwear. Silently, he was glad that the alpha was already aroused enough – he wasn’t sure if he could handle what it took to coax him into that state of mind. He took a deep breath, and slowly pulled the underwear down until there was nothing separating him from the inevitable.

 

 _Pretend it’s Victor._ He told himself, pressing his tongue against the head. Although, that was easier said than done, he realised as his teary eyes focussed on the dark pubic hair before him. _Close your eyes and pretend it’s Victor._

For all his efforts, Yuuri could not lie to himself, especially when the unpleasant taste of an alpha that was not his blossomed on his tongue. His gag reflex sprang up, and it took Yuuri all of his focus to suppress it. He didn’t want to know what would happen if he gagged now.

 

When he wanted to make Victor come quickly, he’d overwhelm him almost immediately, take his whole cock at once and reduce the older man to a quivering mess within minutes. But, Boss had specifically told him not to rush it, so Yuuri tried to find a middle ground. With false confidence, he wrapped his hand around the shaft, pumping it slowly as his lips and tongue gave all their attention to the sensitive head.

 

“Good boy,” the alpha purred above him, taking a fistful of Yuuri’s hair. “I knew you’d be good at this,”

 

 _Shut up, shut up._ Yuuri wanted to plead. The alpha was destroying the illusion he was creating. He stroked his hand up the alpha’s thigh, feeling him shudder beneath his touch. Yuuri continued these ministrations for much longer than he would prefer, only to decrease his chances of punishment should the alpha think he was rushing. He moved on slowly, until he had the alpha’s whole hard length down his throat, almost bringing out another gag.

 

The alpha was growling with pleasure above him, hand still clutching Yuuri’s hair. “How did Nikiforov ever leave the house with you around?”

 

Yuuri froze. _Don’t. Don’t let him get to you._

“Hmm,” he continued, pushing Yuuri’s head ever-so-slightly further down onto his member. “I guess I’ll never know,”

 

Just as Yuuri’s composure faltered, the alpha withdrew his hips, and then slammed himself back into Yuuri’s mouth. The omega gagged at the change in pace, his eyes widening in shock at first, but as the alpha began to fuck his face, they rolled back. His hands scrabbled against the alpha’s thighs as he coughed and spluttered around the intrusive length. It was several minutes of torture before Boss came down Yuuri’s throat with a groan. Yuuri gripped the alpha’s thighs tightly as he tried to swallow around his cock without gagging.

 

When his panting died down, Boss released his grip on Yuuri’s hair, throwing the omega to the ground. Yuuri lay gasping for breath, rubbing his now sore throat. The alpha shuffled around in front of him, pulling his underwear and sweatpants up. He crouched beside the omega, lifting his chin so that they were face to face.

 

“Oh Yuuri, that was fantastic,” he praised, ignoring the baleful glare Yuuri was sending his way. “I’m glad I was right about just how good you would be,”

 

Yuuri wheezed slightly, never breaking his resentful glare with the alpha.

 

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” he mocked.

 

Yuuri clenched his jaw. “I did it for Yurio,”

 

The alpha laughed darkly. “Oh, Yuuri,” he stroked the omega’s hair. “We wouldn’t have hurt him. His ransom was raised ages ago,”

 

A fresh wave of nausea flowed through Yuuri. He covered his mouth with one hand, bracing himself on the floor with the other. He saw the alpha leave the room through his peripheral vision, but his gaze remained fixed on one spot in shock. He heard the three alphas leave the room, slamming the door on their way out.

 

Yuuri came to his senses quickly, and whipped around to see Yuri still slumped against the couch. He rushed over, flinging himself against the younger man’s pale form.

 

“Yurio,” he sobbed. “Oh God, you’re so cold,” Yuuri stripped the clothes of his body. “I’m so sorry, Yurio, what have they done to you?”

 

He babbled away to a barely-conscious Yuri, wrestling him into the clothes before pulling him into an embrace. He rocked them back and forth, stroking Yuri’s stubbly head. The blonde huddled into Yuuri’s body heat.

 

Yuuri’s sobs died down to hiccups and sniffles. He pulled Yuri closer. “You’re free,”

 

Yuri shifted against him. “You’re getting out of here. You’ll be away from this, free to move on,”

 

“Katsudon?” the young omega whispered, shuffling himself around until his startling green eyes met Yuuri’s warm brown. “What… what are you talking about?”

 

“Your ransom, Yurio. They’ve raised it,”

 

Yuri’s eyes drifted closed, a small smile playing on his lips. He slumped against the elder male, breathing heavily as he drifted off to sleep.

 

*****

 

_Freedom._

 

_What does that mean?_

_Where will I go?_

Yuri stirred, rubbing his bleary eyes. He felt warmer somehow. Shifting his gaze, he saw he was dressed in oversized clothes.

 

 _Beka?_ He wondered. _Don’t be ridiculous. Beka wants nothing to do with me now._

He pawed at the source of the heat, his hands meeting soft flesh. He felt fingers rubbing soothing circles on his stubbly head. He blinked in the sight of Yuuri, limbs wrapped around him protectively, murmuring in Japanese.

 

“Katsudon?” he croaked. Yuuri’s eyes met his, silence enveloping the room. “Where are we?”

 

Yuuri’s movements stopped. His eyes flickered away to stare at the floor.

 

“We…” he began in a whisper. “We’re still here,”

 

“Oh,” he replied simply.

 

“I don’t know when, but you’re getting out,” Yuuri added as he continued his massage of Yuri’s scalp. “They… they told me that your ransom has been raised, that they won’t hurt you anymore,”

 

“What about you?”

 

“I…” Yuuri swallowed thickly. “There’s still time,”

 

They sat in silence for a little while, dozing in each other’s arms. It felt right, it felt correct. Yuri felt at home like this – not necessarily cuddling, but in close contact. Whilst they still lived in St Petersburg, Yuri spent almost every night round at Yuuri and Victor’s. Even before his presentation, the omega’s presence always soothed him. He never let it show of course, but he imagined that it didn’t take the couple long to cotton on. They kept quiet though, and their door was always open for him. Yuri missed those times, now more than ever.

 

“It’ll be okay you know,” Yuri said quietly. “Everyone loves you, man. They’ll all pull together and get you out of here,”

 

Yuuri squeezed the blonde slightly closer.

 

“I’ll kick all their asses if they don’t,” Yuri continued. “It won’t be freedom without you,”

 

This earned a sniff from the older male. Yuri looked up to see tears forming at the corners of those chocolate eyes. They swam with melancholy as a small smile ghosted over his lips.

 

“Never change, Yurio,” Yuuri said, his voice cracking slightly.

 

“Katsudon,” he replied firmly. He extracted himself from Yuuri’s embrace, arranging himself so that he was kneeling beside the older omega. “No, Yuuri. I guarantee that you will get out of here, one way or another. You really think Victor will be able to live with himself if he leaves you here? Do you think I will be able to live with myself if I get out and you don’t?”

 

“Yuri…”

 

“No, you need to hear this. Yuuri Katsuki, you are one of the most beautiful, kind-hearted, talented people in the world. But God, are you oblivious,”

 

Yuuri’s expression faltered somewhat. Yuri knew that he was far too humble to hear such things, that were this a normal situation, Yuuri would be blushing furiously and begging him to stop. But this wasn’t a normal situation, and the younger man had no idea what the future held for the two of them; so whether Yuuri liked it or not, he was going to hear him out.

 

“Look at me: I’m a pain in the arse, loud-mouthed, arrogant and generally difficult person to be around, and yet they have managed to get 2 million Euros for my safe return. Literally everyone who has ever had the privilege of meeting you, or watching you skate will be fighting tooth and nail to bring you home.

 

“Years ago, Victor fell head-over-heels for an enchanting yet very _very_ drunk man in Sochi. Nobody in the room could take their eyes off him. Nobody could take their eyes off _you._ I had already met you… told you to retire. I was… acting out, I was so conflicted. You were mesmerising on the ice, and I was so threatened by you, and so jealous of you. It was even more profound at the banquet – and that when everyone realised that you were also fucking _fun._ ”

 

Yuuri was blushing furiously now. He hated being reminded of his antics at the banquet.

 

“And soon after that, you disappeared, and it was fucking travesty. Luckily Victor found you and brought you back. From the second he set foot in the onsen, he was trying to court you,”

 

Yuuri hid his face in his hands with a groan. “I know,”

 

“But it took you so long to realise! Victor is about the least subtle person on the planet!”

 

Yuuri’s reddened face stayed obscured by his hands. Yuri took a deep breath – he never planned to tell Yuuri any of this, why would he? But he felt like it needed to be said, that it might help the older male in his current situation.

 

“Have you ever stopped to think how many other people were just as enamoured as he was?”

 

Yuuri removed his pale hands from his face just enough to see his eyes. They were swimming with confusion, his brows furrowed above them.

 

“I’m telling you – a lot of people. People see you on the ice, and you immediately capture their attention. And then if they meet you, they find out that you’re also so bloody nice! I can’t name many people who didn’t go through a little Yuuri Katsuki phase-,”

 

“What?!” Yuuri spluttered. “Yurio, I don’t know what you’re getting at-,”

 

“I was one of those people!” the blonde exclaimed, redness creeping up onto his own face. “I had a crush on you since seeing you perform in Sochi. I didn’t understand it back then, so I acted out like the bratty teen that I was. And then you and Victor started becoming real, and I grew so jealous. Back then I was so fuelled by negative emotions. When you and Victor got engaged, I approached him. I kicked him, called you a pig, called his ring garbage…”

 

Yuri had broken eye contact, staring shamefully down at his own knees. “I’m sorry, for that. It was then that I began to move on, but noticed that other people felt a similar way about you,”

 

“Yurio,” the raven-haired male whispered. “Why are you telling me this?”

 

Yuri faced up to his friend once more. He placed a hand on either shoulder and looked him directly in the eye. “Because whoever this fucking Boss guy is, he’s just another one of those people. Unfortunately, he’s wrong in the head, some sort of psychopath that thinks he can take you for himself against your will. Don’t let him get to you. Don’t let him mess with your head and make you believe any of his bullshit,”

 

Yuuri gaped at him, the blonde’s words slowly sinking in. Yuri swallowed the lump in his throat.

 

“Trust me, if they can free me…” Yuri smiled slightly. “Then they sure as hell will free you too,”

 

The omega collapsed against him, his body shaking with sobs. They curled in on one another once again, but this time it was Yuri who was doing the comforting. It was a long while before Yuuri calmed down, but Yuri held him tight the whole way through.

 

“Thank you, Yurio,” came a shaky voice. “I won’t let him get to me, not anymore,”

 

Yuri’s cheeks ached as he smiled, so relieved that his words had had the effect that he needed them too.

 

“I’m so scared, Yura,” the older male sniffed. “What if the ransom is raised but he doesn’t let us go?”

 

“That won’t happen.” The blonde replied firmly. “I really hope that the outside world is stupid enough-,”

 

The metallic bang of the door startled the two omegas, cutting off Yuri’s sentence. In a flash, he was covered from view by Yuuri’s body, and he was ashamed at how he curled up in a helpless ball behind him. His heart hammered against his ribcage, his pulse bounding in his temples.

 

“Get up,” came the voice of the Boss. “Both of you,”

 

Yuuri rose slowly from the couch, one hand behind him clutching onto Yuri’s arm. The younger omega followed, light-headed from his impending panic.

 

“Over there,” the alpha continued, his tone almost bored.

 

Yuuri shuffled over towards the centre of the room, where the restraints were placed, never once letting Yuri anywhere but behind him. Yet eventually, they were pulled apart without much resistance from the two omegas.

 

Glaring at the alpha before him, Yuuri was restrained first, with his arms in the air. The blonde mimicked his elder, slightly less sure in his staring, but he put on a brave face nonetheless. They had promised not to hurt him again after all.

 

He just fretted over what was to happen to his friend.

 

The beta and one of the alphas were busy setting up the camera equipment in front of the omegas, which calmed Yuri slightly. They only brought the camera out when they wanted to make an announcement to the outside world.

 

 _Please._ He prayed. _Please be good news for Yuuri and I._

Déjà vu crept up on him as the Boss situated himself between the two omegas, a black balaclava pulled over his face. He was eyeing Yuri up suspiciously.

 

“Where’d you get those clothes, blondie?”

 

A full-body shiver made its way through the young omega under the alpha’s intimidating stare. The air was thick with tension as he waited for a response.

 

“From me,” came Yuuri’s reply, slightly more confident-sounding than usual. “You left him to freeze,”

 

The alpha shifted over to the raven-haired male, looming over him. “And did I tell you that you could do that?” he asked, his voice calm but his pheromones suggesting threat.

 

“You never said I couldn’t,” Yuuri retorted, unperturbed by the alpha’s attempts of intimidation.

 

Yuri’s breath was held throughout the seemingly endless pause that followed. But, the alpha just chuckled slightly. “You’re quite right, I didn’t,” He turned back to his place in the centre, and received a thumbs-up from the beta behind the camera.

 

A small red light indicated that the device had begun recording, but the alpha didn’t start immediately. Yuri was internally begging for him to say something, he was desperate to hear some news from the outside world.

 

“We received word today that four million Euros has been raised for the ransom of Yuuri Katsuki and Yuri Plisetsky,”

 

 _Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov._ Yuri wanted to correct him. _At least have the decency to use his proper name._

“I’ve seen the word ‘Total’ banded about a lot,” the alpha continued. “Which is very strange to me. Maybe mathematics isn’t my strong point, but I’m sure that two multiplied by three is six, not four,”

 

 _Bastard!_ Yuri grit his teeth, glancing over to Yuuri, who looked torn between confusion and fear. _He thinks he can raise it to three million each?_

“It’s sad,” the alpha said, not sounding sad at all. He sidled over to Yuuri’s side, slipping one hand round his waist, resting the other on Yuuri’s abdomen. “It seems like everyone has forgotten about little Baby Nikiforov,”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been planning this plot point since the beginning it felt SO GOOD to finally write it
> 
> Shout at me in the comments below


	17. Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God...  
> I was BLOWN AWAY by the response last chapter!!!  
> I'm so glad it was a twist for the majority of you!  
> I was honestly grinning like mad to myself reading the comments, they made me so freaking happy! You guys are the reason I keep on going with this <3 
> 
> Just to clear a few things up:  
> Yuuri IS pregnant and the baby IS Victor's. The rest will be cleared up in this chapter!  
> This chapter is very jumpy so to help you keep track - the sections in italics are flashback chapters and the rest is in the present, and there is some overlap in the last two sections.  
> The main thing I have learned whilst writing this is that I SUCK at timelines! Please forgive me D:  
> The next chapter after this one will be when recovery begins! 
> 
> This is my longest chapter yet. There's so much packed in here that I have been super excited to post, I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> Mpreg, miscarriage, referenced abortion, referenced rape/sexual assault, blood & gore (but not much) 
> 
> Buckle up...

_White mist billowed out in front of Victor’s face as his warm breath hit the frigid air of Hasetsu’s winter. He was rushing back to his little house, back into the warm arms of his husband after his dreadfully dull day._

_Yuuri had been working with his students that morning, but had an afternoon off, which was extremely rare given that they were currently mid-competition season. His students had an extra workshop this afternoon with Minako, giving their coach a little time to relax._

_Victor’s morning had consisted of a meeting, followed by another meeting, followed by lunch, his day culminating in yet another meeting. It had bored Victor to tears – although he and Yuuri were taking their first baby steps into an exciting new venture, the finances wouldn’t sort themselves out, and Victor was the one with more free time._

_He regretted not taking on students of his own._

_But in time, he would. He would have so many people under his wing of different levels and ambition. He had always wanted to continue coaching even after Yuuri had retired, but maybe not at such a high level. He wanted to be more of a talent scout, sniffing out younger skaters with potential and then forging them into champions with Yuuri’s help. Currently, Victor did the choreography for Yuuri’s students, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to pass on his passion for skating to a new generation._

_He sighed again, his breath misting out in a great cloud. He tugged his coat tighter, lengthening his stride more, so that he’d reach home even quicker._

_It was well worth the wait when he stepped through the door, engulfed by warm air that seemed to thaw out his frozen body. Not only was it warm, but it smelled divine – Yuuri must be cooking._

_“Yuuri~,” he called, toeing off his boots and laying them neatly in the hall. “I’m home!”_

_“I’m in the kitchen!” his mate called back as he hung his outerwear on their coatrack._

_(Victor never tired of seeing his and Yuuri’s clothes hung up together)_

_He padded into the kitchen to find his husband dressed in his most comfortable-looking clothes, an apron strung around his front. He was leant over the cooker, the steam from his dish fogging up his glasses slightly. His cheeks were rosy from the warmth, and Victor just wanted to squeeze him in a giant hug._

_Well, nothing was stopping him._

_He wrapped his long arms around Yuuri’s torso, hugging his abdomen, and he rested his chin in the crook of Yuuri’s neck._

_The omega yelped, slapping Victor’s hands away. “Victorrr!” he whined. “You’re freezing!”_

_The alpha chuckled and just held his mate tighter. “Warm me up, Yuuri!!”_

_“Get off!” he giggled, wriggling against Victor’s hold. The alpha peppered his neck with frozen kisses, containing his laughter as Yuuri flinched away with each touch. “Seriously! I’ll knock the pan over!”_

_“Then stay still and let me love you!” Victor teased, sliding his hands beneath Yuuri’s shirt._

_“That’s it!” Yuuri squealed, whirling around to face his husband. He held the alpha’s wrists in front of him. “Keep these to yourself, or I’ll take all of this food over to my family to eat instead of you!”_

_“Yuuri!” Victor gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “You would starve your dear husband like that? Have you no mercy?”_

_Yuuri giggled, leaning up to press a kiss to his husbands’ lips. “It would be a shame, I’ve been slaving away all afternoon…”_

_Victor puffed out a sigh against Yuuri’s cheek, pulling him close for a proper cuddle. They melted into the embrace, Yuuri’s head pillowed on Victor’s shoulder. The alpha pressed a kiss to the black locks._

_“When will dinner be ready my love?”_

_“In about fifteen minutes,” Yuuri replied, breaking away from Victor to return to his cooking. “Go get into something comfy. You’ll have such a big food baby after this, those fancy trousers will burst,”_

_Victor couldn’t wait to peel off his overpriced suit and replace it with sweatpants and an oversized jumper. He made his way upstairs, pulling his tie off and throwing it on the bed the moment he got in. His mouth stretched into a smile when he saw that Yuuri had placed his clothes on the radiator, warming them up for Victor’s return. Even better, snuggled beneath the radiator was Makkachin, her grey-streaked fur looking fluffier than usual. Yuuri must have bathed her, Victor realised._

_Makkachin was slowing down a lot these days. She was practically deaf, only noticing Victor when he gave her head a tentative ruffle. She boofed out in acknowledgement of his presence, her tail thumping a few times on the floor, before she settled back down into her nap._

_When Victor returned to the kitchen, Makkachin plodding along at his heels, Yuuri was already dishing up their dinner at the table. It smelled divine, but Yuuri’s cooking always did. There was a pitcher of water at the table, plus a cheeky bottle of white wine, unopened. Yuuri blushed slightly when Victor entered the room, the alpha gesturing at the table with a small smile on his face._

_“What’s all this?” he asked, supressing the urge to scoop his husband up in his arms and kiss him until he was breathless._

_“Oh, um…” Yuuri stammered, hanging his apron back up on its hook. “Well, we’re so busy recently, we’ve not been cooking properly… and I know you’re stressed and bored… and I had the afternoon off so I thought I would treat you a little?” The omega sounded so unsure of himself, his beautiful eyes glancing down at the floor in embarrassment._

_Victor was beaming. “Oh, Yuuri,” the urge to cuddle his husband to death finally took over, and he was in Victor’s arms within two of the blonde’s long strides. “You’re so thoughtful,”_

_Yuuri smiled back, his eyes shining. “I even made dessert!”_

_Victor nuzzled into the omega’s neck, holding him close as he felt his heart threaten to burst with affection. Yuuri giggled and pulled him in for a quick smooch. When they parted, he held out a chair for Victor to sit on, and then poured him a glass of wine._

_“You’re too good to me,” Victor sighed contentedly. He noticed that there was soft music playing, a classical melody that helped to soothe him slightly._

_They chatted over dinner about their respective days, Yuuri somehow managing to find interest in the slightest thing Victor told him – it was adorable how excited Yuuri was at the prospect of setting up a skating academy, and that excitement was highly contagious._

_Victor felt warm and fuzzy on the inside, partly due to the wine but mostly due to his thoughts regarding their future together. He couldn’t wait to see what the world had in store for them._

_By the time they had finished their meal – dessert and all – the wine was nearly gone. It didn’t matter too much, as they both had a high tolerance… but it made them both infinitely more affectionate. They worked together to tidy up, bodies brushing together despite the space in the kitchen. Even during menial tasks such as this, they couldn’t keep their hands of one another in some way._

_As he was drying the last dish, a pair of lithe arms snaked around Victor’s waist, pulling him into a hug from behind. Yuuri nosed at the scent gland on his husbands neck – not that there was currently any scent there, but it was marked out by the faint white scar of Yuuri’s teeth, and the omega was sure he could detect the slightest smell if he concentrated hard enough. Once the alpha was done, Yuuri pulled him wordlessly by the hand into the lounge._

_The music was softly playing in here also. The fire was crackling, the orange light throwing a warm halo over Makkachin, who had staked her claim to the warmest spot in the house._

_Yuuri turned to face Victor, keeping their hands entwined, placing his other on Victor’s shoulder. The alpha followed suit, resting his free hand on his mate’s waist._

_“Dance with me,” Yuuri breathed, gazing up at Victor in the low light._

_Well, who would refuse such an offer?_

_They swayed rhythmically, Yuuri’s chocolate gaze never straying from his husbands. Victor smiled warmly, pulling the omega slightly closer, until their faces hovered millimetres away from each other. Yuuri tilted his head up for another kiss, a deeper one this time. Their mouths slotted together like they were made for one another, Victor’s soft lips pressing against Yuuri’s slightly chapped ones._

_The omega pulled back, his pupils wide and his breathing ever-so-slightly heavier than normal. His eyes seemed to scan Victor’s face, sparkling as if looking for an answer to some great question. Victor’s eyes fluttered shut, and he moved forward for another kiss, but…_

_“Let’s have a baby,”_

_Victor froze. He opened his eyes slowly, leaning away to study Yuuri’s face. The omega’s gaze was warm and sure, his eyebrows raised a miniscule amount._

_“Yuuri?” Victor breathed. He couldn’t quite comprehend what he had heard._

_“I want a baby,” Yuuri whispered, tears gathering at the inner corners of his eyes. “I want to have_ our _baby,”_

_Victor let out a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding. He’d been waiting so long to hear those words, the desperate ache to have children with the love of his life becoming stronger every day since they bonded. But he had always promised himself to wait for Yuuri. Yuuri would tell him when he was ready._

_“Really?” He whispered back, his voice on the verge of cracking._

_“Yes,” Yuuri said, draping both of his arms around his husband’s neck. “I want to come off suppressants. I want to have a baby,”_

_A tear ran down Victor’s face, which was now split with his heart-shaped smile. He hoisted Yuuri up by the thighs, the omega taking the cue to wrap his legs around the alpha’s waist. He pressed giddy kisses all over Yuuri’s neck and chest and face._

_“We’ll go to the doctor’s tomorrow then?” Yuuri giggled. “And we can start trying?”_

_Victor went to lay his husband down on the couch. His pale fingers stroked the omega’s warm face. “Let’s start trying right now,”_

_“Vitya!” Yuuri squealed as those tender hands began to take off his shirt. “It won’t work now! We’re still on birth control!”_

_Victor grinned as he pulled Yuuri’s shirt over his chest. They locked eyes, their gaze now much more intense. “In that case, let’s start practicing,”_

_****_

 

_The couple shook hands with the doctor before taking their seats next to her desk. Yuuri was nervous, but excited, which Victor seemed to realise as he interlaced his fingers with the omega’s. They discuss their decision with the kindly beta, who took down many notes about their current birth control and what they wanted to do next._

_“We would still like to use scent blockers,” Victor added. “Will they affect fertility? Are they safe to use in pregnancy?”_

_“They don’t affect fertility, and there are specific products that can be used safely in a pregnant omega,” the doctor explained. “Many decide to stick to patches and lotions, but there are pills available too,”_

_Yuuri nodded along with her words. “As long as the tablets are safe, I think I’ll want to use them, and use the other things in an emergency,”_

_“No problem,” she said, typing away. “I can prescribe you the appropriate things. Do you have any other questions?”_

_Yuuri had millions of questions flying around his head, he didn’t know where to start. Luckily, Victor started for him._

_“Will Yuuri only be fertile during a heat?”_

_“No,” she explained. “Although omegas are much more fertile during their heat – the same goes for alphas in ruts – they can get pregnant outside of a heat. However, this is much more common for female omegas, purely due to the differences in anatomy,”_

_“How quickly will I know if I get pregnant?” Yuuri asked._

_“Typically, an omega has a menstrual period three weeks after their heat, if they have not conceived during. Pregnancy tests can be accurate for as early as two weeks, so it is really up to you if you want to take a test after two weeks. But, you must bear in mind that they are not always accurate at such an early stage in pregnancy, so we recommend for you to wait for three weeks and then take a test if your period does not arrive on time,”_

_Yuuri breathed in deeply, as if absorbing all the information he was being given._

_“What if I do get pregnant outside of a heat?” he asked worriedly. “How will I know?”_

_“You might experience symptoms such as morning sickness, or tenderness over the breast. It is difficult to say, as it is uncommon. But if you feel any persistent changes in your body, a pregnancy test can be done to see if that is the cause,”_

_Several more questions later, Yuuri and Victor were shaking hands with the doctor once more, Yuuri tucking their prescriptions into his bag. They walked arm-in-arm out of the surgery towards the nearest pharmacy, which was on the way to the rink._

_“Our next cycle is in two weeks,” he said excitedly to Victor. “I’ll need to arrange cover for my students,”_

_“They’ll be okay for a few days I’m sure,” Victor replied. “Minako usually holds longer classes for them doesn’t she?”_

_“Yeah, I’ll have to sort all that out with her,” Yuuri mumbled, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “Shit, look at the time! That appointment went on way longer than I expected! At this rate I’ll be so late to start my class…”_

_“Calm down, my love,” Victor smiled. They had stopped outside a small café a few doors down from the pharmacy. “Text Minami to tell everyone to do their warm-ups without you. I’ll grab us a coffee whilst you’re waiting on the prescriptions okay?”_

_“Okay,” Yuuri said, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “I’ll be as quick as I can,”_

_It was a common thing for omegas to feel uneasy when left alone. It was instinct for them to feel safe when their mate was nearby, but they also felt at ease when they were accompanied by other omegas, or betas to whom they were well-acquainted. Yuuri scolded himself for being a typical omega, unable to feel normal when his mate was only a few shops away._

_Yuuri took a seat once his prescription was being sorted by a pharmacist, taking out his phone to text Minami and his other students. He felt terrible, having missed an afternoon with them yesterday and now turning up late. They had a busy day ahead as well, Victor was accompanying him to help finesse the young skaters choreography in time for Worlds._

_There was only one other man in the pharmacy, someone Yuuri had never seen around before. He was tall, white and had brown hair. He was clearly an alpha, which made Yuuri’s inner omega feel slightly more unsettled. He huddled in closer to his phone screen, now scrolling through the sporting news to distract himself. The alpha was now at the counter, speaking in terrible Japanese to the pharmacist._

_“Do you speak English?” he asked, exasperated, to which the pharmacist shook her head. But to Yuuri’s dismay, she pointed right at him._

_Supressing a groan, Yuuri looked up at the alpha with a forced smile. “Is everything alright?”_

_The man stared wide-eyed at him. “I-I need this painkiller… it’s not on the shelves,” he was stammering and blushing slightly. “Is it behind the counter?”_

_Yuuri sorted him out with his purchase, his face a mask of politeness as the alpha tried to make small talk. As the alpha’s drugs were being fetched, Yuuri’s prescription arrived. He thanked the pharmacist and hurried out of the shop. Once outside he released a breath he did not know he was holding – there was something in the way that man looked at him that had made the omega feel uneasy. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, figuring that he was just highly strung due to being late._

_He shoved his medications into his backpack, eager to grab his coffee from Victor and make their way to Ice Castle – but a shout from behind him stopped him in his tracks._

_“Excuse me!” the alpha shouted, emerging from the pharmacy. He jogged the short distance towards Yuuri. “Are you… are you Yuuri Katsuki?”_

_Yuuri tried so hard not to roll his eyes – he usually didn’t mind being approached by fans, but he really wasn’t in the mood today. “Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov,” he corrected, a forced smile on his face. “But yes, I am,”_

_The alpha flinched slightly at Yuuri’s response, but held out a hand to shake. “H-hello, my wife is a big fan – sorry to disturb you, but may I have your autograph for her?”_

_“Sure,” Yuuri replied, the firm grip on his hand feeling at odds with the stumbling alpha before him. There was an uncomfortable pause. “… do you have anything for me to sign?”_

_“Err, maybe in my car?” the alpha replied, not letting go of Yuuri’s hand. “It’s just around the corner,”_

_“Um, okay, I’ll wait here?” Yuuri suggested. He was becoming more and more uncomfortable with this exchange. He hoped that Victor would come out of the café soon so that he had an excuse to leave._

_“Really, it’s just over there,” the alpha persisted, gesturing behind the pharmacy somewhere. “Follow me,”_

_Yuuri was getting quite worried now. He was never very good with social situations, let alone with an alpha he had never met before insisting for his autograph. “I really should wait here, my **husband** will be wanting to leave soon,” _

_“It won’t take long!” the alpha borderline pleaded, something close to panic in his eyes. “I promise!”_

_Yuuri felt suddenly swayed, giving in to the idea that he might as well just get this over with. He nodded slightly stiffly, earning a smile from the alpha, who gestured for Yuuri to walk beside him. Yuuri took one step forward, stuffing his hand into his pocket to find his phone, to tell Victor he’d be ready to go soon._

_“Yuuri!” the omega whipped around at the sound of his mate’s voice, his shoulders slumping in relief as Victor strode up to him with a paper coffee mug in each hand. The alpha had also turned, his eyes going wide when he saw Victor. “Sorry it took so long, there was quite a queue!”_

_Victor handed Yuuri his cup, his gaze falling on the alpha in front of them. He shot Yuuri quite a quizzical look._

_“Um, I was just about to sign an autograph for this man’s wife,” Yuuri explained, moving slightly closer to his husband. “She’s a fan,”_

_“Oh, lovely!” Victor smiled, but it was his camera-smile, one that Yuuri knew was not genuine. “Would she like mine, too? Or am I being presumptuous?”_

_“I’m sure she would,” the alpha replied, his demeanour a little more guarded than it had been previously. “I was just getting something to sign…”_

_“No need!” exclaimed Victor, handing Yuuri his cup. He had taken off the cardboard sleeve and produced a pen from his jacket pocket. “Who do I address it too?”_

_“Err… Al,” the alpha replied. “Short for… umm… Alexandria…”_

_“Beautiful name,” Victor said, signing his name with a flourish. He swapped with Yuuri, taking the coffee cups so that Yuuri could sign the other side. The omega handed it over, his hand brushing with the alpha’s as he did so. “So sorry, but we really must get going!”_

_“Y-yes,” the alpha stammered, clutching the cardboard and addressing only Yuuri. “Th-thank you for your time,”_

_Yuuri bowed slightly to the alpha, before he and Victor hurried off in the direction of Ice Castle. There was a strangely tense silence between them._

_“Sorry about that,” Yuuri muttered._

_“Don’t be sorry, my love,” Victor said, squeezing Yuuri’s hand. “It’s been a while since either of us got approached by a weird fan,”_

_Yuuri laughed lightly, some tension draining from his body. “I don’t think it helped that he wasn’t a fan, his wife was,”_

_Victor hummed in agreement, taking a sip from his coffee._

_They reached Ice Castle, and soon their encounter with the fumbling alpha was forgotten._

_****_

_“Yuuri?” Victor asked, tapping on the door of the bathroom. “Are you okay?”_

_“I’m **fine,”** Yuuri snapped from behind the door. His voice sounded strained, like he had been crying. Victor bit his bottom lip, wanting to help his husband with whatever he was upset by, but knowing that Yuuri would just get more upset. _

_“I’ll be making breakfast,” Victor said softly. He had to wrench himself away from the bathroom door when he heard Yuuri’s sniffles from the other side. He had already been busying himself with the coffee maker when Yuuri excused himself for the bathroom. Yuuri had been a while, so Victor had decided to check up on him. The alpha sighed as he began preparing their food, worrying about Yuuri the whole time._

_Victor was laying their food on the table when the omega emerged from the bathroom, eyes rubbed red-raw and hair dishevelled. They looked at one another for a moment, Victor’s heart breaking at the sight. Yuuri approached him, burying his face into the crook of Victor’s neck, wrapping slightly shaking arms around his waist. Victor smoothed Yuuri’s hair down, rocking them back and forth in a soothing manner. Yuuri said something, but it was muffled into Victor’s shirt._

_“What is it, sweetheart?” he asked, gently pulling Yuuri back to face him. Yuuri’s eyes were shining with fresh tears._

_“I…” the omega started. His eye contact with Victor dropped, he hung his head as though ashamed. “I got my period,”_

_Victor stopped breathing momentarily, and then he pulled Yuuri into a bone-crushing hug. He eased their bodies over to the couch, cradling Yuuri in his arms._

_“I’m so sorry, Victor,” Yuuri sniffled. “I didn’t get pregnant,”_

_“Shhh, it’s okay my love,” Victor whispered, wiping the tears from Yuuri’s face with his thumb. “It was only our first try,”_

_“B-but, it was my heat, the most fertile time…” Yuuri whispered back. “It’s three months til our next cycle,”_

_“Yuuri, honey,” Victor began, squeezing Yuuri close again. “It will fly by. I’d gladly wait a whole other lifetime to have a baby with you,”_

_“I was just so excited,” Yuuri mumbled, fiddling with the hem of Victor’s shirt. “After… all we did during my heat… I was so convinced I’d be pregnant,”_

_“There is no rush, my love,” said Victor. He smiled down at his husband. “We’ll keep trying, every day if you want… whatever you want, because although I am excited at the thought of having children, I’ll always be happy as long as you are,”_

_Yuuri cracked a small smile, burying his face into Victor’s chest. “You’re such a sap sometimes,”_

_“I’m a sap all the time,” Victor grinned. “Let’s get some food down us… although the coffee is probably cold now,”_

_****_

_“Vitya!” Yuuri cried when he heard the door unlock. “Come here!”_

_“One second!” Victor replied. Yuuri was sat on the couch, shaking with anticipation. It took all of his will power not to jump up and kiss his husband to death when he walked into the lounge. He sat next to Yuuri, sliding up to him for a cuddle. Yuuri squeezed him tight, peppering his face with kisses._

_“What’s going on?” Victor asked, a little breathless with the giggles. Yuuri didn’t want to speak, he thought he’d either start screaming, or crying, or both. So, he just held out his hand to Victor. Victor looked down at Yuuri’s closed fist, confused. Yuuri placed an object in the alpha’s hand, who held it carefully as he studied it. Yuuri watched, biting his lip when he saw Victor’s eyes widen._

_“Is this yours?” Victor breathed. Yuuri nodded, tears now welling up in his eyes, his lip still clamped between his teeth. “You’re pregnant?”_

_“We’re having a baby!” Yuuri exclaimed, his voice breaking from the emotion. Victor descended on him, smothering him with kisses and enveloping him in a tight hug. The alpha pressed kisses all over his mate’s neck, down to his collarbones, down his chest until he came face-to-face with Yuuri’s abdomen. He pushed Yuuri’s shirt up, laying his hand against his still-flat tummy._

_“We’re having a baby,” Victor repeated in a whisper. He nuzzled into Yuuri’s toned stomach, earning a giggle from the omega._

_“I’m between four and five weeks,” Yuuri explained as Victor caressed his lower abdomen with his thumbs. “I didn’t bleed after my heat, but didn’t want to get my hopes up… and then I was about a week late and curiosity got the better of me,”_

_“Oh, Yuuri,” Victor sighed, pulling himself up to press his lips against his husband’s. “I can’t wait,”_

_Two weeks after he had told Victor, Yuuri stared down at his pyjama pants around his ankles. The sight of so much red against the grey of the trousers made him numb. He had heard of spotting, but never like this. There was no denying what this was._

_Yuuri kicked off the pants, balling them up to throw away later. He barely registered the cramps beginning to squeeze around his middle as he rose from the toilet. He looked away as he flushed, feeling sick at the thought of seeing something._

_The shower was scalding. Yuuri stood beneath the spray, watching a trail of red swirl down the drain._

_He still felt numb when he told Victor. The alpha sat silently on the sofa, tears falling into his lap._

_Yuuri finally cracked when he phoned Phichit. He hadn’t told anyone else that he was even trying to get pregnant, but he needed to hear his best friend’s voice._

_Yuuri and Victor didn’t stop clinging to each other that night, their cries cutting through the eerie still of their dark bedroom._

_Two months later, Yuuri’s heat came early, as did Victor’s rut. Two weeks after that, Yuuri’s period came early too._

_Several more mating cycles passed, each one punctuated by a menstrual period three weeks later. Yuuri had begun to resign himself to a life as an infertile omega, until one day at the rink while Minami was cooling down, Yuuri’s phone pinged._

_It was his fertility cycle tracking app, notifying him that his period was a week late. Yuuri swallowed thickly, pocketing his phone as Minami finished for the night. Once he had locked the doors of Ice Castle, he climbed into Victor’s car, who had come to pick him up._

_Yuuri stared up at the ceiling all night. His periods were always three weeks on the dot, except for that one time it was early. But the only time it had ever been late was…_

_He sneaked into the bathroom, not wanting to wake Victor. He found a pregnancy test at the back of the drawer where he kept his menstrual pads. He held it in his hand, contemplating what to do._

_Maybe his period was just late. Maybe he was getting his hopes up. Maybe it would be better for him to bleed out in a couple of days, and never know the circumstances. He placed the test back in the drawer._

_It was times like this he wished Makkachin was still alive. That day had destroyed Victor. Yuuri didn’t want any more loss to plague his husband’s mind._

_But it was Victor’s baby too, if there was a baby there. Yuuri snuggled back down into bed. He’d tell Victor tomorrow that his period was late, but he hadn’t yet taken a test. They could make a decision together._

_The next morning, though, the decision had been made for them. Another bloodied pair of pyjama pants found their way into the rubbish bin._

_Two months later, Yuuri and Victor flew to Berlin for a long weekend with Yuri and Otabek. They had both been looking forward to the much-needed break, and Minami had assured his coach that he could handle a few days practicing on his own, that he could do with the alone time so close to the Grand Prix Final._

_****_

“He’s gone into a drop,” the Paramedic said once she had finished her brief examination on Victor. “It is very rare for alphas to drop, though. Was there a trigger?”

 

Chris nodded tightly. “It’s complicated but… it’s a very stressful time for him,”

 

“I see,” she replied sympathetically. “May I have the abridged version?”

 

“His husband is being held hostage, and we’ve just found out he is pregnant,”

 

Her eyes widened. “Goodness,” she was lost for words, so began to pack up her equipment. “In that case, it would be much better if he stays here. I don’t see any benefit of taking him to a hospital. But, call back if you have any concerns,”

 

“Thank you,” Chris replied.

 

Once she had gone, Chris was alone with Victor’s unresponsive form sat on the edge of the bed. He really didn’t know what to do – he had never even seen an omega drop before. However, Victor did not look very comfortable, so Chris tried to be as gentle as possible to get Victor into bed. He kept the room dark, settling down on the couch. He texted Otabek to inform him of how Victor was, even though the paramedic had probably already told him.

 

Moments later, Otabek was pushing the door open tentatively. Chris beckoned him in, and the Kazakh perched on the couch next to him, the lines of his body tense. “Do you think it’s true?” Otabek whispered, his gaze fixed on Victor’s form. “Is Yuuri pregnant?”

 

Chris sighed and rubbed at his stubble. “I honestly don’t know. Victor never said anything to me about it,”

 

“They hadn’t told any of their family, either,” Otabek sighed. “It’s probably a lie,”

 

“Unfortunately, I don’t think that Victor would have dropped if there wasn’t some sort of truth to it,”

 

Silence filled the room as Chris’s words sunk in.

 

“I’m getting a coffee; would you like one?” Otabek asked.

 

“I’d love one, actually,” Chris replied with a small smile. “Seems like I’ll be looking after Victor for a while,”

 

Whilst waiting for Otabek, Chris began to drift off on the couch. It had been an exhausting week for everyone, and Chris had barely slept. His husband was worried sick about him. Chris couldn’t even begin to imagine how he would feel if this was happening to them.

 

He was woken by his phone vibrating incessantly in his pocket. He groaned, wondering who could possibly be phoning him.

 

**Incoming Call – Phichit Chulanont**

 

Chris swiped the answer button faster than he had ever done in his life. “Phichit?”

 

“Oh Chris, thank God,” Phichit said. “Victor isn’t picking up, I was worried. Are you with him?”

 

“Yes, I am,” Chris replied. “But he’s not well. He’s gone into a drop,”

 

“A drop?!” Phichit exclaimed. “Because the kidnappers know about Yuuri?!”

 

Chris’s heart dropped, his breath catching in his throat. “Phichit… is it true that Yuuri is pregnant?”

 

There was a long pause. “Phichit?”

 

“Sorry, sorry, I’m still here, I just… I thought you would know? Or Mari?” Phichit sounded confused.

 

“…Yuuri is pregnant?” Chris whispered.

 

“Well, I don’t know for sure. He hasn’t told me that he is… but I know that they have been trying. A lot. For about two years,”

 

“Shit,” Chris gripped his knee, hard. “Shit, shit, shit,”

 

Just then, Otabek arrived back, a coffee cup in each hand. His mouth was set in a hard line.

 

“Phichit, I’ll phone you back,” Chris stammered. He hung up and turned to Otabek. “It’s true,”

 

“Shit,” Otabek exclaimed, slamming the drinks down on the coffee table. “Phichit knows?”

 

“He said they have been trying for two years,” Chris said hurriedly. “I have to tell the others,”

 

“Chris,” came the young alpha’s stern voice. “I’ve just been there to see them. They think they’ve found their location,”

 

Chris snatched up his coffee. “Stay here with Victor, I’ll be right back,”

 

The beta powered down the corridor towards the Katsuki’s hotel room, where everyone else was gathered. When he entered, it was pandemonium.

 

“Christophe,” came Yakov’s gruff voice. “We’re all preparing to leave. They think they have found Yura and Yuuri’s whereabouts. We need you to stay here with Victor,”

 

Chris’s eyes swept the room, seeing the fear on the Katsuki’s faces as they shoved their belongings into suitcases. He grasped Yakov’s wrist and pulled him out of the hotel room.

 

“Yuuri is pregnant,” Chris said as soon as the door shut, his tone hushed. “Phichit phoned, said they have been trying for a baby. I need to tell Helena and Otto,”

 

All of Yakov’s frown-lines had gotten inexplicably deeper. “Shit,” he growled. “They are with Nikolai. Who else knows?”

 

“Phichit and Otabek,” Chris replied.

 

“We won’t tell the Katsuki’s,” Yakov said, rubbing his temples. “They have enough on their plates. Go and tell Helena and Otto,”

 

Chris rapped his knuckles against the door of Nikolai Plisetsky’s room. Luckily, it was Helena who answered. She stepped out of the room to talk to him.

 

“Mr Giacometti,” she began. “So sorry, it’s been such a rush. We’re scrambling for a rescue operation; we have found their location,”

 

“I’ve been told,” he replied, taking a swig of coffee. “I’m to stay here with Victor?”

 

“We think it unwise to move him in his current state,”

 

“Where are they?”

 

“South Germany, close to the border of Austria,” she explained. “We’ve traced the text from Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov and correlated it with CCTV footage from the Autobahn,”

 

“I see,” Chris said. “That’s far away,”

 

“Yes. We’ll be taking them to a hospital nearby,” she looked slightly worried. “When Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov recovers, we’ll bring him down,”

 

Chris nodded, his jaw clenched. “I got a phonecall from Yuuri’s close friend. He tells me that they have been trying to conceive for a while, that there is a very real risk that Yuuri is in fact pregnant,”

 

Helena took a sharp intake of breath. “I see. Thank you,”

 

Chris nodded at her once more, before turning around to return to Victor. No doubt Otabek would want to go with them all down to Austria, for Yuri.

 

 ****

 

The video recording had long stopped, but Boss had yet to leave Yuuri’s side. Yuuri was staring at the floor in shock, barely registering the alpha beside him.

 

“You’re lying,” Yuri challenged the alpha. “You just want more money,”

 

Boss stroked Yuuri’s abdomen with his thumb. “Tell him, Yuuri,”

 

But Yuuri didn’t reply. He stood trembling, his body pulled against the restraints. “Tell him!” the alpha insisted, his voice now with a manic edge to it. Yuuri shifted his gaze from the floor to fix with Yuri’s. His eyes were shining, and seemed to be pleading with Yuri, his brows furrowed and his mouth wobbling.

 

“See for yourself,” Boss said, moving towards Yuri and holding a white stick up to his face. It was a pregnancy test, and it was positive.

 

Yuri scoffed. “That’s not his,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re lying,”

 

“It is his!” Boss replied, a wicked grin on his face. “And here is yours!” He held up another test to Yuri, but this one was negative. “We tested you both, just to make sure,”

 

Yuri was bewildered. “What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“Aw, do I have to explain it to you?” the alpha mocked. “All you need is one of these…” he gestured at the two tests in his hand. “… and some urine!”

 

Yuri just gaped at him. The whole time he was here, they never…

 

The buckets. The buckets they were forced to use as toilets when they first arrived in this hellhole.

 

“You’re disgusting,” Yuri spat, his face contorted with hate.

 

The alpha shrugged. “It’s just biology,” He made his way back to Yuuri, undoing the restraints. “I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about, but you only have until dinner. Yuuri and I will be having a nice meal together tonight,” He nuzzled into Yuuri’s neck when the omega’s hands had dropped by his sides. “I’ve put some nice clothes over there for you. Make sure you’re ready when I come down for you,”

 

He untied Yuri without another word, and left them standing in the middle of the room. Yuuri sank to his knees.

 

“Katsudon!” Yuri rushed to his friend’s side. “It’s not true, he’s lying…”

 

“I don’t know,” Yuuri whispered. He locked eyes with the blonde. “I… we… for two years we’ve tried… but…” he hands lay over his abdomen. “It’s only worked twice, I think. I had a miscarriage after our second cycle… and I think I had another one after my last heat, but I never did a test,”

 

The silence rang in Yuri’s ears. He’d never known about their efforts, had never known that Yuuri had ever been pregnant, that they had ever experienced such loss.

 

“Victor… I never told him about the second one,” Yuuri’s voice cracked. “I didn’t know for sure, and I didn’t want to upset him,” the omega was sobbing now. Yuri wrapped his arms around the older man. “I’ve wanted a baby for so long, Yura. And now, what are they going to do to it?”

 

Yuri’s blood ran cold at the implications. If the ransom wasn’t raised and the baby wasn’t safe… what would they do?

 

“M-maybe it’s just a threat,” he said, his voice rough. “If you haven’t had a heat since then…” he trailed off and just held Yuuri through the sobs wracking his body. They died down after a while, and Yuuri sat up to wipe the tears from his face.

 

“They are not taking my baby,” he shot out. “I’ll figure something out,”

 

Yuri watched as Yuuri moved over to the sofa where the clothes lay and began to dress. His scent filled the room, the determination giving it a stronger edge.

 

“I promised you that I wouldn’t let them get to me anymore,” came Yuuri’s hardened voice as he shrugged on a flowy white crop-top. “And I won’t. Whatever sick plans they have in store for me, I won’t go down without a fight – no more of the stupid omega side of me bending to their will; no more giving in,” He turned to face Yuri again, his mouth in a hard line. “I’m sorry, Yura. I thought I could stay strong for you, and I couldn’t. Now there’s two of you I’m fighting for, and I’m going to give it all I’ve got,”

 

“Katsudon,” Yuri’s tone now matched that of the older omega. “Stay strong, but not for me. Fight for

yourself, and for your baby,”

 

A half-smile curled at the edge of Yuuri’s mouth as he wrestled himself into some very tight black skinny jeans. “I will,”

 

In normal circumstances, Yuuri knew that Yuri would have scoffed and gagged at the thought of babies – he probably wouldn’t mean anything by it, but that was just his way. He had always spoken of his disdain for ‘mushy love shit’, stating that ‘feelings are for ugly people’, but in this instance, he was a different person.

 

Yuuri struggled to know sometimes what was going on in the blonde’s brain. Oftentimes the words from his mouth would be at complete odds with his actions. Neither he nor Victor were ignorant to the way that he would yell at them every second that he was in their apartment; whilst also never straying further than an inch away from Yuuri. He wanted to maintain his punky image to the world, but everyone saw the smile that snuck across his face when he saw Otabek, and the kisses and giggles they would steal when they thought nobody was looking.

 

It was that Yuri that was there with him in the basement – the hidden part of Russia’s Ice Tiger that only a select few people ever got to see. Once Yuuri had dressed himself, they sat on the couch, talking about baby names and clothes and bedroom colours. Yuri tried several times to persuade Yuuri to name the baby after him (“No, that’s also naming it after me! I don’t want to do that!”); to let them order leopard-print wallpaper for the baby’s room (“We helped you decorate your own room like that and it was atrocious,”); to promise that if it came out with silver hair, they would always dye it a less ridiculous colour (“It’s not ridiculous! Also black is probably the dominant gene anyway…”). It was another of their moments of escapism, when they could block out their surroundings and immerse themselves in normality.

 

It was over all too soon. They had been talking for what seemed like hours, but the moment Boss came back through the door it felt like they hadn’t been able to spend a moment alone. Yuuri glanced back at Yuri one last time before he was led out of the room, hoping that the blonde would see the determination in his eyes.

 

“You look beautiful, Yuuri,” Boss complimented as he led the omega up the stairs.

 

“I know,” Yuuri replied. He was led back into the kitchen – the alpha tried to reach for his hand, but Yuuri snatched it away. Boss held out one of the chairs, gesturing for Yuuri to sit; so Yuuri went to the other side of the table, and sat down on the other chair.

 

He could see the vein pulsating in Boss’ temple, clearly getting annoyed with him. But he didn’t say anything about it, merely poured a glass of wine for Yuuri and went to fetch the food. Yuuri studied the room around him; the table was set for multiple courses, a vase of roses sat on his right, three candles in a candelabra on his left. The wine was vintage, the silverware polished. It looked like a table from an upmarket Italian restaurant had been plucked out and dropped into the otherwise normal kitchen.

 

Boss was trying to take Yuuri on a _date_ without leaving his house. This alpha was trying to court him, Yuuri realised.

 

“You haven’t touched your wine, Yuuri,” came the alpha’s voice. He lay down a plate of salad in front of the omega. “I bought it special for tonight,”

 

“Can’t, I’m pregnant,” Yuuri drawled, pushing the glass away.

 

“One glass won’t hurt,” the alpha cast him a devilish grin as he took his own seat.

 

Yuuri raised one eyebrow. “I do not drink during pregnancy,”

 

“Very well,” the alpha replied. “A glass of water then?”

 

“I think that would be more suitable,”

 

Yuuri studied his food whilst the alpha was away. He was inherently suspicious of everything put in front of him. He heard the clinking of glasses from behind him, and so swiftly swapped his plate with the alpha’s.

 

“Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?” Boss said as he placed the glass down in front of Yuuri. “This is our first date, after all,”

 

“I’m married and pregnant,” Yuuri shot back. “Don’t get your hopes up,”

 

Boss smiled, taking up his cutlery to begin his meal. “I can be very persuasive, Yuuri,”

 

Yuuri picked at the food in front of him, not letting his eyes stray from the alpha in front of him.

 

“Like I said,” the alpha continued. “Let’s start from the beginning. My name is Alistair, but you can call me Al,”

 

“My name is Yuuri, but I’d prefer if you didn’t talk to me,”

 

“You’re so feisty, darling,” the alpha grinned. “One of the many reasons I fell for you,”

 

“What the hell do _you_ know about _me?_ ” Yuuri spat.

 

“Everything,” the alpha whispered, his foot resting against Yuuri’s ankle. Yuuri yanked it away. They stared at each other for a moment, a buzzing silence surrounding their table. Yuuri stabbed at his salad, chewing it carefully. _Everything?_

 

“Do you believe in True Mates, Yuuri?” Al asked, not taking his eyes away from the omega for a second.

 

“Shouldn’t you know the answer to that?” Yuuri replied dryly. “Seeing as you know _everything_ about me,”

 

Al hummed around a mouthful of salad. “I think if you believed in True Mates, you wouldn’t have fallen for Nikiforov so easily. You’d be mine, as you were destined to be,”

 

“My _husband’s_ name is Katsuki-Nikiforov, thank you,” Yuuri snapped back. “And our relationship is none of your business,”

 

“I’ve told you before, Yuuri. He isn’t going to want you now,” Al said nonchalantly, beginning to clear up their now empty plates. “Don’t delude yourself,”

 

“Don’t you dare talk to me about delusions. You’re the deluded one here,”

 

The main course was served in more silence. Yuuri could feel the beginnings of anger beginning to radiate from the alpha, but he forced himself to rise above it. If he had learned one thing in his time here, it was that this alpha’s pheromones were too powerful for his own good, and that was helping to fuel his delusion.

 

“Believe me, Yuuri; a bond is a sacred thing. Not only have you wasted yours on someone undeserving of you, but you betrayed it. You betrayed a man who gave himself to you, and you expect him to forgive you?”

 

Yuuri grit his teeth, the familiar feeling of guilt bubbling up to the surface. “I’ve never betrayed Victor,”

 

Al grinned, his eyes full of malice. “You can think that all you want, Yuuri. But I know what I saw. You enjoyed it every time I touched you, every time I put my hands on you, every time we were joined in the most intimate of ways…”

 

“Shut up!” Yuuri yelled. He could feel his face burning, tears behind his eyes threatening to spill. “I never wanted you near me! I never had a choice!”

 

“But you _enjoyed it,_ Yuuri. I could tell from the sweet sounds that came out of your mouth, the way your body let me in,” He grabbed Yuuri’s hand. “You came undone under my touch. You’re lying to me, and lying to yourself – you cannot deny how your body reacted. You enjoyed every second,”

 

Yuuri pulled his hand away and stood abruptly. Frustrated tears were running down his face, the shame and the guilt choking him up. The alpha stood as well, rounding the table to loom over him. Yuuri glared up at him, his fists balled by his sides. He refused to be intimidated by him, he had promised to stay strong…

 

Large hands pushed down on his shoulders, and his knees buckled below him – no matter how strong he could be mentally, his body had been through torture, and it was really starting to show. “Deny it all you want, Yuuri,” the alpha growled in his ear. “But you were made for me, and you know it,”

 

 _I was made for no-one._ Yuuri told himself. _Not Victor, not you… I belong to nobody but myself._ He focussed on his food, shovelling it down to try and take his mind off his anger; but he felt sick, and the lump in his throat made it tough to swallow down. But he forced himself through it anyway. He wanted this ‘date’ to be over with.

 

He felt calmer once he had finished, despite being painfully aware of the alpha watching his every move. Yuuri slumped back in his chair, his arms folded tight over his chest.

 

“I hope you’ve saved room for dessert,” Al said, breaking their silence, but not his eye contact. “You are eating for two after all,”

 

“Don’t speak of my child,” Yuuri spat. “Leave them out of it,”

 

“I can’t do that, Yuuri,” the alpha sighed. “You see, the ransom hasn’t paid for all three of you. That’s not something that I can ignore,”

 

“There’s still time,” Yuuri replied.

 

“Hardly. I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Yuuri. They’ve barely managed to buy your way out of here. I can let you go, but not your baby,”

 

Yuuri’s gaze hardened on the man in front of him. “You won’t hurt my child,”

 

“Of course I won’t,” he sighed, finishing up the last of his food. “It can’t feel pain for a good few months yet,”

 

Yuuri could only here the grinding of his own teeth. He was threatening to kill his child, to murder an innocent life, a life that Yuuri would do anything to keep carrying.

 

“You’ll take these…” the alpha produced a small box from his pocket. “…once deadline is reached, and there is inevitably not enough money to save your baby. Once you’ve had these pills, you’ll miscarry, and you’ll be free to go – back into the arms of a man who doesn’t want you. A man whose baby you will have aborted,”

 

If looks could kill, the alpha would be stone cold dead. Yuuri glared at him, his smug face obscured by the small box of pills. Yuuri would never take them of his own accord, but he had no doubt that they would force the pills on him, one way or another. There was only one thing he could do.

 

Like lightning, his hand snatched the box away from Al’s hand. Yuuri’s chair clattered to the kitchen floor, and he jumped over it towards the sink. He tore the blister packs from the cardboard as the alpha roared behind him, the table legs scraping against the floor. Yuuri pushed the pills from the packet, both of them tapping against the bottom of the sink. He heard the alpha stumble towards him, and he turned the taps on full-force, watching with a disbelieving smile as the pills disappeared behind the drain.

 

Al grabbed him from behind, pulling him away from the sink and snatching the now-empty blister packs from Yuuri’s hand. One arm clamped Yuuri against him, the other held the torn-apart packaging in front of him. Yuuri could feel the alpha shaking with rage, the trembling of the large man’s body becoming more and more pronounced. He dropped the packages to the floor, his whole body convulsing.

 

And then he started… laughing?

 

The smile slid off of Yuuri’s face as the alpha beside him was overcome with hysterics.

 

“Oh, Yuuri, you are so full of surprises!” the alpha wheezed. He hauled the chair back upright, pushing Yuuri down into it once more. He knelt at Yuuri’s feet, looking up at him with a maddened grin. “But so am I. Do you really think that those were the only pills that we have?”

 

Without hesitation, Yuuri punched the alpha across the face. It only made the man laugh more.

 

“I’m not taking a single one of those fucking pills,” Yuuri hissed at the man below him, who already had a purple bruise blooming on his cheek.

 

“Fine then,” the alpha replied, grasping a hold of Yuuri’s arms. “You don’t have to,”

 

Yuuri blinked. He tried not to let the confusion show on his face. Had he triumphed? Had he finally convinced the alpha of something? Maybe his insolence had finally worn the alpha down, and he would finally be free of his torment…

 

“If you love your baby so much, you can have it,” the alpha continued, his voice unnervingly smooth. “You can give your baby to your precious husband, let him hold it in his arms, take care of it like a good Papa should,”

 

 _Oh my God._ Yuuri struggled to breathe. _He’s giving in?_

“As long as you stay here, with me,”

 

Yuuri really did stop breathing. His face finally betrayed him, his eyes widening and his skin paling. “…what?”

 

“I’ll allow you to swap your positions. In exchange for keeping your baby and handing it over to it’s father, you stay here with me – where you belong,”

 

Yuuri’s breaths were coming short and fast now. The alpha was deadly serious in his proposition. His entire time here, all that Yuuri had pined for was Victor. All he wanted was for Victor to scoop him up in his arms, to cradle him against his chest, surround him in his scent and keep him safe. But how could he do that, now? Either he returned to Victor, having lost their child for the third time; or he let Victor have the baby he had so desperately wanted for years.

 

Yuuri would always be a part of him, through their bond. And he would always be a part of their child. If he killed the baby, maybe Boss was right – why would Victor want to take him back? A baby conceived outside of his heat was surely a sign, it surely meant _something._ He was told it was so rare, he should feel so lucky to be carrying a life inside of him, a life that exists against all the odds…

 

“Make a descision, Yuuri,” the alpha whispered. “You’re running out of time,”

 

He couldn’t abort. He just couldn’t. There was no guarantee that this pregnancy would even come to term, if his past experiences were anything to go by. But he had to give it a fighting chance.

 

He could make this work to his advantage. He could play Al like a puppet, make him give the baby over to it’s Papa. And when his guard was down, Yuuri could escape. He didn’t care how long it would take… even if there was a possibility that he would never get the chance…

 

But if it meant holding on to the little life inside of him, it was worth the risk.

 

“Fine,” he whispered, his shoulders slumping with dejection. “I’ll stay,”

 

The alpha smiled. Not manically, not wickedly. His eyes didn’t shine with malice. The smile was scarily genuine. His hand reached up to brush the hair out of Yuuri’s face…

 

Yuuri gripped his wrist, hard. Al winced in pain as Yuuri pulled them together. “On one condition,”

 

The evil grin was back. “Go on?”

 

Yuuri threw the alpha’s hand down, and stood to tower over him, asserting his dominance for once. “Should I lose this baby, the deal is over. You get two lives, for your four million,”

 

The alpha rose to face Yuuri. He stuck his hand out for Yuuri to shake. The omega gripped it, releasing after one firm shake. “Good decision. Because if you do anything to my baby, I’ll strangle you in your fucking sleep,”

 

Amazingly, the alpha looked shocked at that statement, but only for a moment. He gripped Yuuri by the waist and pushed him against the wall, slotting their mouths together for a deep kiss. Yuuri didn’t kiss back, but didn’t fight either. The alpha seemed satisfied with just a kiss, and guided Yuuri back to the table.

 

As the omega took his seat, there was a shrill ring through the house. A flash of panic crossed the alpha’s face, and one of the others ran into the kitchen a moment later.

 

“Who the fuck is ringing the doorbell?” Al hissed.

 

“I don’t know, Boss,” The Russian alpha looked just as stressed, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

 

“Leave it,” he ordered. “It’s probably no-one,”

 

The bell rang again, causing the two alphas to jump. Al gripped Yuuri’s upper arm with one hand. A tense silence stretched on, until there was a third ring.

 

“Go and see who it is,” Al hissed, pulling Yuuri up from the chair and into his body. “Don’t let them see you. They’ll leave when they see nobody is in,”

 

 _It could be no-one._ Yuuri breathed shallowly. _But surely anyone might be able to…_

“HELP!” Yuuri screamed. “HELP HELP HE-,”

 

Al clamped his other hand around Yuuri’s mouth, but it was too late. A loud bang echoed through the house, it seemed to shake the buildings walls. Al’s head whipped round frantically, searching for somewhere to hide with Yuuri. The omega clawed at the hand over his mouth, desperate to keep shouting. More loud bangs came in quick succession, reverberating through the walls and making Yuuri’s legs shake. The loudest bang yet was punctuated by the shattering of glass and the sounds of breaking metal. Footsteps rushed in through the hall.

 

“Polizei!” came a shout from the corridor.

 

“Excuse me!” came the shout from the Russian alpha, who had left to see who was at the door. “What do you think you are doing?”

 

“We have a warrant, Sir,” an American accent replied. Al was backing into a pantry cupboard, barely big enough to conceal him and Yuuri. Yuuri saw a glint in the corner of his eye, and saw that the alpha held a large kitchen knife.

 

“A warrant for what?!” Russian spluttered. “Do I look like some sort of druggie to you?!”

 

“We are looking for these two men, have you seen them?” there was a pause, and Al gripped even tighter onto Yuuri, whose eyes were darting around the dark pantry. He zeroed in on a well-stocked shelf of tins and cans.

 

“Can’t say I have,” Russian replied haughtily. “You broke down my door to ask-,”

 

Yuuri, with all the strength he could muster, slammed his body into the shelf on his left. It banged against the door, and the conversation outside froze. Before Al could register his balance, Yuuri used the momentum to ram their combined weight into the shelf. His cry was muffled by the alpha’s large hand when he felt a crack in his shoulder – but all the metal cans came crashing to the ground.

 

There was no hiding now.

 

He heard several people run in the direction of the noise. Al was fighting to keep Yuuri still with the knife also in his hand, but Yuuri managed to kick several cans towards the door of the pantry, revealing their whereabouts.

 

Light blinded him as the door swung open, several police officers stood facing them. At least two were armed with guns, but they were further behind. A man, not in uniform, but still wearing a stab vest was stood closest. He lowered his flashlight slowly.

 

“Mr Becker,” the man said, holding out his hand. “Give me the knife,”

The alpha – Alistair Becker, Yuuri now knew – growled, holding Yuuri impossibly tighter.

 

“Mr Becker,” the officer repeated. “Put the knife down,”

 

It was then that Yuuri registered the cold bite of a knife against the side of his throat. His whole body tensed, freezing in place to avoid cutting himself or provoking the alpha.

 

“Please,” the officer continued. “Let Yuuri go. We want him to be safe, don’t we?”

 

Al moved his grip from Yuuri’s mouth to his shoulder, Yuuri wincing with pain as he grasped at the fractured bone.

 

“Mr Becker,” the officer persisted still, the figures behind him motionless. “We raised the money. We’re here for Yuuri.”

 

Al was snarling now, his bruising grip on Yuuri’s shoulder making the omega whimper in pain.

 

“Yuuri is hurt. We can take him to a hospital, okay?”

 

“He’s not going anywhere!” the alpha screamed. “He’s mine!”

 

The officer took a tentative step forward, his hand still outstretched. “Hand me the knife, Mr Becker, and we can help,”

 

Al was panting, the sweat from his palm seeping through Yuuri’s dress shirt. The nip of the blade against Yuuri’s flesh disappeared, the knife emerging from beneath his throat.

 

“That’s it, Mr Becker,” the officer encouraged. “It’s okay,”

 

The knife inched closer to the officer’s hand, but Al’s panting became more erratic. “If I can’t have Yuuri…” he snarled. “Then no-one can,”

 

Yuuri screamed as he saw the flash of the knife towards his stomach. He pushed his hands out to block the blade, and it was all over in half a second.

 

But for Yuuri, the world span in slow-motion. He saw the knife being plunged towards his abdomen, saw how his hands flew down instinctively. He saw a flash of blue light in his periphery, a sharp buzz and crackle in his ear. The blade tore through his hand, but he couldn’t hear himself scream. The large hand clutching the knife handle slipped away, leaving it embedded in Yuuri’s hand. The body of the alpha convulsed next to him, shaking his own body. He turned to see the same officer holding a taser against Al’s neck, the large man’s body seizing up, before it swayed and began to fall.

 

Yuuri spun round, away from the alpha’s descending body. His back hit the wall beside the door, and his knees gave way. As the alpha’s large body thudded to the ground, Yuuri’s buckling legs staggered sideways, trying to take him out of the pantry. He fell on his side, hard, as he was still cradling his hand with the knife inside. His broken shoulder slammed into the floor, and it was Yuuri’s subsequent scream that broke the silence ringing in his ears. The alpha’s body lay motionless on the floor, except for his arms being secured behind his back with handcuffs.

 

Yuuri screamed, and screamed, and screamed. His lungs burned from the effort, but he kept on screaming. His hand throbbed, and he screamed from the pain; his shoulder ached, and he screamed from the pain. He was overwhelmed by pain and emotion – the sight of the alpha on the floor blurred his senses to anything else.

 

Eventually, he felt a hand on his arm. He flinched away from the touch, but his eyes met the kind face of the officer that had tasered the alpha.

 

“Yuuri,” he said, gently. “It’s okay. My name is Otto, and I’m here to help you. He can’t hurt you now,”

 

Yuuri was breathing hard. There was chaos around him, but he felt like the officer and he were in their own little bubble. For the first time in a long time, Yuuri felt safe.

 

“The basement,” Yuuri croaked. “Yurio is in the basement. There’s two more men, an alpha and a beta,”

 

“Okay Yuuri,” Otto replied. “That’s a big help. Can you stand up? We can get you to an ambulance,”

 

“I-I’m not sure,” he glanced over at the alpha’s body. “I want to leave,”

 

“Of course, Yuuri,” the officer replied, shifting so that his view of the alpha was blocked. “Shall I help you to stand up?”

 

Yuuri nodded tentatively, holding out his uninjured arm to Otto, who wrapped it carefully around his shoulder. He helped Yuuri to stand, despite the crowded space, and together they shuffled away from the pantry. Otto guided him to a chair to sit down, as Yuuri could hardly stand on his shaking legs.

 

“N-No,” Yuuri stammered. “Please, get me out of here,”

 

“Okay, Yuuri. I’ll be with you the whole time,”

 

They reached the hallway, where the door to the basement was wide open, two police officers standing at the top. A paramedic rushed up, eyeballing Yuuri’s injured hand.

 

“We’ll just get to the ambulance, and then you can take a look at him,” Otto explained. “Is it outside?”

 

The paramedic nodded, walking only one step in front of Yuuri until they got to the front door. Blue lights illuminated everything, flashing against Yuuri’s pale skin. He was blinded by the brightness, the pulsating lights disorientating him. He tightened his grip around Otto’s shoulders, letting him guide Yuuri in the right direction.

 

Soon enough they reached an ambulance, the inside of which was blissfully absent of all the flashing lights. He was gently seated on the little gurney inside. Otto knelt beside him as the paramedic wrapped his hand in a bandage, applying pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. Yuuri grabbed Otto’s hand once more, squeezing tightly through the pain.

 

“Are you hurt anywhere else, Yuuri?” Otto asked gently.

 

“I think I broke my shoulder,” Yuuri whimpered.

 

“Okay, we can sort you out at the hospital, don’t worry. We’ll be there shortly,”

 

“Wait!” Yuuri panicked. “C-Can we wait? I-I need to know if Yurio is okay,”

 

Otto glanced at the paramedic, who seemed happy with the stemming of the blood from Yuuri’s hand, and nodded.

 

“Of course, Yuuri,” Otto smiled. “I can go and see where he is, if you like?”

 

Yuuri was nervous about being left without Otto, but he nodded. As long as he got to see Yurio. He was instructed to lay back on the gurney with his hand held above his head. His left arm was streaked down to the elbow in blood, so Yuuri averted his eyes. The sight of so much blood made him feel nauseous – the last time he had seen so much…

 

A cardboard bowl appeared in front of his face just in time, as he wretched over the side of the gurney. The paramedic handed him paper towels to clean up his face.

 

“The blood?” she asked, her German accent thick. Yuuri nodded, feeling more vomit rise to the back of his throat. He spewed into the bowl once again, as the paramedic brushed the hair from his sweaty forehead, murmuring soothingly. She disposed of the bowl, handing Yuuri a fresh one as he slumped back. She seemed sympathetic to Yuuri’s reaction, so took damp cloth and washed away the blood from his arm. Yuuri felt instantly more relaxed once the bloodied cloth was out of the way.

 

He let his eyes drift closed, mumbling to the paramedic to let him know when Yurio came out.

 

****

 

Yuri’s ears twitched at a faint ringing sound. He had sat himself on the couch, surrounded only by the sounds of his own breathing for quite a long time now. His head jerked up as he heard another similar sound, just as quiet as the first.

 

“Just what I need,” he muttered to himself. “Hallucinations now is it? Great,”

 

He shook his head as a third ring was heard in the distance. He clamped his hands over his ears, desperate for the quiet again. And then, the room seemed to shake.

 

“It’s not real, it’s not real,” he whispered to himself. “It’s not real,”

 

But what was undoubtedly real was the metal scream of the blue door, as the German alpha and the Beta rushed in, bolting the door behind them. Yuuri’s head snapped up, and he curled in on himself as the two men approached. They looked stressed, and both jumped as another bang resonated through the basement.

 

They seemed preoccupied with the noises from what seemed to be upstairs, both of their backs facing Yuri. The blonde slid off the couch and crept towards the corner, towards the bathroom. Another bang sounded off, and Yuri dashed the small distance to the bathroom, years of ballet training making him fortunately very light on his feet. If he had made a sound, they hadn’t heard.

 

Both men were talking in rapid-fire German, their voices hushed. Yuri held his breath as he pushed the door shut, inch by tiny inch.

 

The hinges creaked loudly, the men’s heads both whipping round to see Yuri inside the bathroom. They shot towards him, so Yuri slammed the door and secured the bolt. He heard their bodies thud against the door, and then a pause. Yuri backed into a corner, the one closest to the door hinges. Should they burst in, he might be able to sneak past them…

 

More spitting German was exchanged between the alpha and beta, as an almighty crash reverberated through the walls of the building. The tension was thick and cloying, Yuri could hear his own heart thudding against his ribs.

 

Agonising minutes stretched by, and there was no more sound from above. The smell of the alpha on the other side of the door was sour with fear. Yuri swore he could hear faint footsteps. He curled into a ball on the floor, clamping his hands over his ears once again. But that didn’t stop the metallic banging from penetrating his eardrums.

 

“Police!” he heard a shout. “Open the door!”

 

 _It’s a trap._ Yuri told himself, clamping one hand over his mouth. _They’re trying to get in here, it’s a trap._

More loud bangs echoed through his skull, with more shouts from the other side of the door. Each one got louder, and stronger, accompanied by the screeching of metal on metal, the rattling of the bathroom door against its frame.

 

Yuri stifled a scream when there was a huge crash, the metal door must have fallen, as it clanged against the ground and shook Yuri to his very core. There was a cacophony of shouts from the other side of the bathroom door, and Yuri shrank in on himself even more. The stench of alphas filled his nostrils, causing bile to rise in his throat and tears to well up in his eyes.

 

 _Don’t come in._ He pleaded silently, rocking back and forth. _Leave me alone, please…_

After a while, the shouts died down. The only two voices he could hear were those of the alpha and beta, snarling and growling. Eventually, they disappeared.

 

“He said there were two more men, and that Mr Plisetsky was down here,” came a female voice with an American accent. “We don’t know what condition he will be in. He’s likely very scared. Search the basement,”

 

Yuri squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he heard one set of footsteps from the other room. He was trembling like a leaf, desperate to remain quiet and not play their games. The footsteps came closer and closer to the bathroom door, stopping outside. The door rattled slightly as someone tried to open it, and Yuri supressed a whimper.

 

“Mr Plisetsky?” came the female voice, much more softly now. “Yuri? Are you in there?”

 

Yuri shook his head. _Go away, go away…_

“My name is Helena,” she continued. “I work with the police, I’m here to help you,”

 

Yuri was getting lightheaded from lack of oxygen, but he didn’t relent his grip over his face.

 

“If you’re hurt, we have ambulances. We can take you to a hospital,”

 

Yuri slowly let go of his hold over his mouth. If they were trying to scare him, wouldn’t they have caved the door in by now?

 

“You’re safe now, Yuri. We can help you,”

 

“Where are they?” he squeaked, barely loud enough to hear.

 

“The men in this house have been arrested. We have taken Yuuri to an ambulance waiting outside. He wants to see you,”

 

Yuri stayed silent. This seemed too good to be true.

 

“Are you hurt, Yuri?” she asked, still gentle as before. “We can get a paramedic in, would that help?”

 

“No!” he shouted. “Please, leave me alone! I won’t fall for it!”

 

“Yuri,” amazingly, the woman was still calm, her voice even. “Once you’re in hospital, your Grandpa can see you,”

 

“Grandpa?” he whispered.

 

“Yes, and Yakov is there too. And the Katsuki family. If we can take you to the hospital, you can see them all,”

 

“I-,” Yuri croaked. “G-give me o-one second,”

 

Yuri pushed his head back against the wall, taking several deep breaths. If this was a trick, he needed to be on high alert, and then he might be able to escape. But something in Helena’s voice made him trust her, she seemed kind, like she actually wanted to help him.

 

He pushed himself up off the floor, swaying slightly and leaning against the wall for purchase. He took several more breaths until he was steady on his feet. He padded over to the door, staying behind it as he slowly unlatched it and pulled it open. Yuri stood trembling for a moment, the shadow of Helena was cast into the dark bathroom.

 

“May I come in?” she asked softly.

 

“No,” Yuri choked. He shuffled round the door to face her. When he was finally round, she didn’t move. She didn’t approach him, didn’t try to snatch him away. She just gave him a small smile and stepped to the side, so that she was no longer blocking the doorway. When he finally emerged from the bathroom, he stared at her.

 

“Well done, Yuri,” she said. She slowly held out a hand. “Yuuri is waiting outside for you. Shall we go and see him?”

 

Yuri nodded wordlessly, taking her hand. She led him out of the room, towards the stairs out of the basement. Yuri struggled on his wobbling legs to climb the stairs, but she stayed at his pace. When they were finally up, they were flanked by two large alpha police officers. Yuri flinched, shrinking in closer to Helena.

 

“These are my colleagues, Yuri,” she said gently. “You’re safe with us,”

 

Yuri nodded once again, feeling like a toddler being pulled through the house by his mother. He shielded his eyes as they walked outside, too many blue flashing lights stinging his eyes.

 

“We’ll get you in an ambulance in a moment,” Helena said. “But Yuuri would like to see you first. Is that okay?”

 

He nodded, hurrying his pace a little. He was led inside an ambulance where there was a familiar pale form lying on the gurney, one arm raised above his head. White bandages were wrapped thickly around his hand, and a black object stuck out in the air.

 

“What is that?” he whispered, his eyes bugging at the sight of Yuuri’s body.

 

“Yuuri got hurt,” she replied plainly. “But he will be okay, don’t worry,”

 

Yuri approached the sleeping form, and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Katsudon?”

 

Yuuri stirred beneath him, bleary eyes blinking in the fluorescent lights of the ambulance. “Yurio?”

 

“What happened?” Yuri croaked.

 

A small smile ghosted over Yuuri’s face. He winced as he moved his injured arm. “He tried… to take… my baby…” Yuuri whispered. Yuri could see now that the object in Yuuri’s hand was the handle of a knife. “But… I told you… they weren’t getting… my baby…”

 

Yuri nuzzled into the crook of Yuuri’s neck, breathing in his calming scent. His body wracked with dry sobs. Yuuri’s arm draped around him comfortingly.

 

“We’re safe,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys! THEY'RE FREE! 
> 
> They will be reunited with their loved ones next chapter! 
> 
> Thank you so much if you have stuck with this story. It's gotten dark, it's gotten experimental, and I'm so grateful that you've gotten this far. If you've kudos'd, thank you, if you've commented, thank you. It's all meant the world to me <3 
> 
> Now, onto the happier stuff!


	18. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello again
> 
> Sorry it's been a while, folks! I was hit with writer's block when starting this chapter, and I re-wrote most of it multiple times. I hope you enjoy what I finally came up with!
> 
> Also when I came here to add a new chapter, I saw that this has reached 500 kudos! I honestly died, I can't believe that many people have enjoyed my writing <3 
> 
> Although these are now recovery chapters, there will still be quite a bit of angst. The boys have been through an awful lot, and it'll take a bit of time for it to be all rainbows and sunshine again. However, it won't be nearly as angsty as it has up until now! And there is going to be a lot more fluff to give us a nice change of pace! 
> 
> As for TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> PTSD in all POV's.  
> The last POV is Victor's. It is quite graphic, as it is a nightmare sequence. It's really not important to the plot, I just love the weird world of dreams. I'll put a summary in the end notes :) 
> 
> Enjoy! <3

Yuri had never experienced anxiety as bad as what hit him when he was separated from Yuuri. They needed to travel in separate ambulances, he was told, but they could see each other back at the hospital soon. Yuri’s leg bounced nervously the whole ride there – there was nothing immediately wrong with him, so the journey was taken up by Helena explaining what would happen when they got to his private room in the hospital.

 

First, pictures would have to be taken of him, to be used as evidence. His body was littered with bruises in various colours, as well as red welts from the time the alphas electrocuted him. He felt sick looking down at his own body, he swore he looked less muscular than he had done at the start of his ordeal. He managed to get a look at his reflection in the ambulance window; he was deathly pale, his lips chapped, giant purple bags under his eyes. His hair had been sheared so close to his scalp, he could see the purple bruises all over, some covering significant lumps.

 

He was unrecognisable.

 

Averting his eyes from the reflection, he stared down in his lap. The paramedic had given him a blanket, which he wrapped around his shoulders for the remainder of the ride. He huddled tightly into his little cocoon as Helena explained that he would need to give a testimony as soon as possible, after the doctors had gathered all their test information. After that, he would be able to see his Grandpa.

 

The next few hours passed by in a blur. Helena was by his side the whole time, making sure he felt as comfortable as possible whilst the photos were taken. Yuri mostly just blocked it out, detached himself from thinking about it, as he would have to re-live it all in front of the investigators and a recorder. His hell would be immortalised in his words, to be played and scrutinised by people who could never comprehend what he had been through – but he pushed those thoughts aside, too. Yuuri was in a much worse state than him, and he had to be thankful for that.

 

After the forensics team had left, he was left in his hospital room with Helena. He was grateful for the silence she gave him, his head still buzzing after the photos. A nurse came in with towels and clean pyjamas, so that he would be able to shower before they put his IV in. The forensics team had done all the tests required, and now he was free to be nurtured back to health.

 

Yuri’s fingers brushed the soft cotton of the pyjamas. “Helena,” he asked quietly. “How is Yuuri?”

 

“I can find out, whilst you are in the shower,” she replied, her voice soft. “He needed photos too, but his health is the priority. He’s in safe hands,”

 

“And the…” Yuri swallowed as the words stuck in his throat. “… the knife? In his hand?”

 

“He’ll be down for surgery as soon as possible, don’t worry,” she smiled and took the omega’s hand in her own. “He will be well looked-after,”

 

Yuri nodded, relishing in the warmth of her hands on his for a moment. After a while, he stood, gathering the towels up in his hands, and made his way into the shower.

 

There were already soaps there, he was glad to see as he turned the spray on. He avoided looking in the mirror whilst waiting for the water to heat up, and when he stepped under the water, his sigh tumbled down from his chest to his toes, the relief of being free finally coming over him. He let the water cascade down from his head and shoulders, flow down his back and pool at his feet. He felt their disgusting touch melt away, he didn’t move until he felt like they had never laid hands on him at all. He bent down for the shampoo, his knees popping as he did so. He felt simultaneously restless and exhausted, his body stiffer than it ever felt before, even after hours on the ice. He wondered how unfit he had become, how he would perform if he were to step onto a rink right then. Would he wobble like a newborn lamb, disjointed and unsteady; or would he glide across the surface like he had never been away, propelling himself into jumps with just as much power as before?

 

Realistically, he knew he would need to put in hours of training to reach the level he was at before. Taking time off mid-season was terrible for any athlete – but at least he had no injury to heal from. None that were physical, at least.

 

He slathered shampoo over his scalp, rubbing gently over the sore spots, lathering up the soap against the stubble. Even if his body looked the same, his performance would be forever altered now. He loved how his hair would flow behind him as he skated, how it would dance a different dance on its very own, how each unique style could convey the messages of his performances more clearly. He remembered watching old footage of Victor with his long hair, and confronting the alpha about his decision to cut it – surprising the audience, he had always maintained. Yuri reckoned that was nonsense – how could you surprise them by wearing the same style every time? They never saw eye-to-eye in that respect, and Yuri always vowed to let his hair stay long.

 

It wold come tumbling down his shoulders, usually, the long strands plastered onto his upper back when they got wet. But now, only lumps of soapy suds ran down his back, there was no blonde hair in his sight.

 

He rinsed, and washed, and rinsed again. His skin was pink all over by the time he turned the shower off, from the warm water and from the scrubbing. He dried himself slowly, carefully, patting the towels against his skin to avoid aggravating the bruised flesh further. When he finally stepped back into his room, the air was cooler and more refreshing. Helena still sat in the large chair in the corner, but she left the room to let him change.

 

The pyjamas felt wonderful against his skin. They were new, a simple dark green plaid that reminded him of Christmas. He was glad not to see his body anymore, the only marked skin he could now see were his feet – which were that way from his skating, from hard work and dedication. They were scars he was proud to wear, unlike the others.

 

A friendly nurse came in and inserted his IV. The needle stung slightly, but Yuri didn’t even flinch. A small needle prick was nothing now. Soon enough he was hooked up to a bag of fluids, suspended on a metal pole with wheels so that he could move around.

 

He dreaded the thought of where he was to go first.

 

When Helena returned, she carried a fluffy green robe and some slippers. He shrugged on the robe, hugging the material tight against his body. She led him out of the room, his slippers scuffing against the floor with every step, the drip-stand rattling as he wheeled it alongside him. He must look like a frail old man, he thought. He cast his gaze down, avoiding the eyes of other people that they passed by.

 

Helena pushed open a door labelled “Relatives Room”, ushering Yuri inside. It was quite cozy, two sofas facing one another, separated by a small coffee table. He arranged himself so that the drip was not in his way, letting out a heavy breath as he sank into the couch.

 

“Can I get you a drink, Yuri?” Helena asked softly. Yuri shook his head no, worrying his hands in his lap. “Remember, I’ll be here the whole time. You can take as long as you need,”

 

Yuri nodded again, letting out another shaky breath. _Tell them everything, then see Grandpa._ That thought was all that was keeping him going.

 

Two beta males walked in. Yuri’s breath hitched at the sight, feeling so unbelievably small from his position. His hand reached out for Helena’s, holding it tight like a lifeline. The first man was older, and gruff-looking. His frown-lines were set deep, his mouth turned down in a permanent scowl. But, he took Yuri’s hand with surprising gentleness, and when Yuri looked up, he could see the warmth behind his eyes.

 

“Mr Plisetsky,” he began. “I’m Detective Inspector Harding, I hope you don’t mind speaking to me today?”

 

Yuri nodded, squeezing Helena’s hand once again. She squeezed right back, edging his confidence up ever so slightly.

 

“This is my colleague, Detective Brown,” he gestured at the other man, who bent to shake Yuri’s hand also. He was younger, more full of life. Where Harding looked like the job had beaten him down over many years, Brown looked like he’d stepped right out of qualifying. The twinkle behind his eyes showed more enthusiasm, more passion. Yuri imagined that in time, he would become just like his senior.

 

Especially after dealing with cases like his.

 

The two men settled down on the couch opposite Yuri and Helena. The younger man got to work setting up some recording equiptment.

 

“Now, Mr Plisetsky,” Harding began. “We have been told that your first language is Russian, but you are fluent in English. Is that correct?”

 

Yuri nodded.

 

“I’m afraid we were unable to find a detective who spoke both Russian and German fluently, but if you’d like to speak in Russian, we can organise a translator?”

 

“English is fine,” Yuri whispered. Harding smiled gently at him.

 

“Okay,” the younger detective said. “We’re all ready here,”

 

Harding nodded. He recited some information, such as the date and purpose of the interview, before clasping his hands together. He leant forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Mr Plisetsky, when you are ready, please tell us as much as you can,”

 

Yuri gulped down the lump in his throat. He took several breaths, until his hands weren’t shaking. He looked Harding in the eye. “Once I start, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop,” he warned. “If I stop, I don’t know if I’ll be able to start again,” Helena squeezed his hand reassuringly. “But I’m going to try. No, I _am_ going to tell you everything. It just might take a while,”

 

The two men opposite nodded.

 

And then, he began. He told every detail he could remember from the second he left Otabek. He felt as though he was there again, at the markets, reliving every minute. He closed his eyes, envisioning how perfect the night was before his world was turned upside-down. He pieced together his experience, a morbid jigsaw puzzle to lay out in front of the detectives – in front of the court, in front of the world. In front of his Grandpa, in front of the skating world… in front of Beka. Soon, everybody would know of every detail of his torture, of every second he spent in that hell hole praying to anything that would listen.

 

What would they do when they heard his tale? Would they be repulsed? Would they sympathise? Would they _believe him?_ He knew of so many tales where the omega was seen to be a liar, a manipulative monster, an attention-seeking whore… who would think that? Who would seek such attention? Who would ever want to go through a process like this, just to get their picture on a few front pages?

 

Yuri supposed that the people had enough evidence to see that he wasn’t making anything up. But people could be cruel.

 

He was right, though. Once he had started, he couldn’t stop. Words came pouring from his mouth, unchecked and unplanned. But he never stammered. He never paused. If he did, it would all come crashing down on him. The reality. He knew that this was the first step in a long journey – a journey he was more than willing to make to get justice – and if he stopped now, at the foot of the mountain, the climb would become impossible.

 

His mouth was dry, his head was pounding, but eventually his story came to an end. He felt exhausted, but relieved. He slumped back on the couch, his back aching from sitting bolt-upright the entire time. The detectives thanked him, and praised him for how well he did. He could vaguely hear them talking with Helena, but he felt zoned out.

 

He’d done it. He’d relived his torture and come out the other end still whole. He prayed that the same could be said for Yuuri, wherever he was.

 

Helena led him in a daze back towards his room. His drip stand trundled along, pushed by Helena. He felt lighter than he had in years, as though the weight of his experience had been weighing him down, and he had left that baggage in that room.

 

And then, he walked into his hospital room. He froze in the doorway, faced by the one person he was always happy to see.

 

“Yurotchka?” came his Grandfather’s warm voice. Yuri’s face split into the largest grin as his Grandpa approached him, and the omega all but collapsed against his warm frame. Yuri buried his face in his Grandpa’s shoulder, his arms holding the older man’s middle. Nikolai brought one arm around his grandson, his other leaning heavily on his stick, and pulled him in tight. This was where Yuri felt safe, surrounded by his Grandpa’s love, the faint smell of baked goods clinging to his worn clothes.

 

When they parted, Yuri wiped away the moisture gathered at the corners of his eyes. He met eyes with his Grandpa, who made no attempt to hide his own tears. He nodded behind Yuri, to give Helena her leave. Nikolai shuffled over to the chair, Yuri to the bed. He perched on the edge.

 

“My Yura,” Nikolai breathed, as if he could barely believe that his Grandson was sat with him. “My brave, brave Yura. I’m so thankful to have you back,”

 

Yuri sniffled, tears threatening to form once more, despite the aching smile on his face. He couldn’t find words, but he knew he didn’t need them. He just needed his Grandpa’s presence.

 

“I was told that I wasn’t allowed to bring you food,” Nikolai said as Yuri settled on the bed. “But I can sneak you in some Pirozhki tomorrow,”

 

Yuri laughed gently, fresh tears brimming up where he had just wiped some away.

 

“But they want you on a strict intake for now. You look like you just need feeding up, to me,”

 

“Thanks, Grandpa,” Yuri sniffled. “I’ll take you up on that offer I think,”

 

Nikolai smiled, settling back into the large chair. They embraced the quiet, Yuri’s head feeling wonderfully comfy on the many pillows behind him. He could feel himself sink into their softness, and soon he slipped off into his first proper sleep in many days.

 

When he awoke, the lights in the room had been dimmed. Nikolai was snoring softly, still in the chair. Yuri padded out of bed to the bathroom, trying not to make too much noise with his drip stand. A full bag hung from it, presumably a nurse changed it whilst he was asleep – given how Yuri was usually a very light sleeper, he must have really been out for the count.

 

When he emerged, his Grandfather’s snoring has ceased. Yuri tip-toed to the bed, but the older man was already awake.

 

“Are you alright, Yura?” he asked, voice rougher than usual from sleep.

 

“Yes, I’m sorry I woke you,” he replied softly, climbing into the bed once again. He paused midway. “I can take the chair, Grandpa. It must be awful for your back,”

 

Nikolai chuckled. “No, no, Yura. The bed is for you. I’ll be going back to my hotel to have a proper sleep,”

 

Yuri faltered. He didn’t want to say goodbye to his Grandfather just yet.

 

“Only once things are sorted here,”

 

Yuri released a small breath, his shoulders relaxing. “Sorted?”

 

Nikolai hummed. “Well… there are some other people who would wish to visit you, Yuri. Only when you want to, of course,”

 

Yuri frowned. “Who?”

 

“Yakov, for one,” Nikolai smiled. He slowly rose from his chair, his joints audibly popping. “He’s been quite brilliant. Stopped at nothing to see you back safe,”

 

 _Of course._ Yuri thought. _Why would I expect anything less._

“The Katsuki family is here also,” Nikolai continued, shuffling over to the light switch. The room was illuminated, making Yuri squint slightly. “And Otabek, of course,”

 

“Of course?” Yuri found himself whispering.

 

“Yes,” Nikolai perched on the bed next to his Grandson, wrapping a strong arm around his shoulders. “He adores you, my Yura. Would have made a deal with the Devil himself to see you safe,”

 

“But…” Yuri stammered. “Why? I’m… I’m not worth… I…”

 

Nikolai shushed him, squeezing his arm tight around the blonde’s shoulders. “If you want to speak to him yourself, you can. But I know he will wait until the end of days just to see you again,”

 

Rivers of tears were running down Yuri’s face. _Beka wants me? Still? He must not know…_ He found himself nodding. Nikolai reached in his pocket for his phone, typing away slowly. After a few minutes, the phone buzzed again.

 

“He’s on his way,” Nikolai said. “Do you want me to stay?”

 

Yuri looked over, studying his Grandfather’s face. He didn’t see fear, or concern; he just saw warmth, and hope. Yuri took a deep breath. “I should probably speak to him alone. But please don’t go far?”

 

Nikolai nodded, squeezing Yuri once again.

 

***** 

 

Otabek powered down the white corridors, his trainers squeaking on the polished floors. He hadn’t expected for Yuri to come round so quickly – he had been told to expect distance, perhaps even fear. Whatever the alphas had put him through, the police said, it was likely to have left deep scars. He scooted around a corner, nearly crashing into some nurses in his haste.

 

The ward sister buzzed him in. He had felt such a pang of worry when he was told Yuri was to stay on the High Dependency Unit – in his mind, he saw Yuri hooked up to all sorts of machines, unable to move or speak or even breathe on his own.

 

It turns out that HDU was not like that at all. It was a lot more normal than he had anticipated, but was only one door away from Intensive Care – where Yuuri was. He banished those thoughts to the back of his mind for now.

 

He found Yuri’s room, knocking tentatively on the door. His whole body was shaking, from excitement, and nerves, even fear. He was terrified; what awaited him behind that door?

 

He was greeted by Nikolai, who patted him on the shoulder, and then there was nothing but air between him and Yuri.

 

Green eyes locked onto him. Otabek felt his breath catch in his throat, shocked by who sat on the bed in front of him. Yuri looked so different; as if on the brink of breaking. But there was still ferocity burning in those soldier’s eyes, that bore into him even from their distance. Otabek edged into the room, closing the door behind him. He was still in shock at Yuri’s appearance, but could feel the excitement bubbling back up to the surface.

 

“Beka?” Yuri whispered. Otabek gulped, taking a tentative step forward towards the bed. He half expected Yuri to flinch, to recoil away, but he remained stock-still, his mouth parted in surprise. Otabek approached the blonde carefully, never looking away, constantly surveying Yuri’s reaction. He didn’t want to tower over Yuri, so when he got close enough to the bed he knelt. Green eyes followed him the whole time.

 

“Yura,” Otabek whispered, reaching for Yuri’s hand. Skin brushed on skin, but Yuri still didn’t flinch, only looked down at where their bodies connected, his eyebrows shooting up impossibly farther. Otabek heard the younger man’s breath catch, so he began to retract his hand.

 

Yuri grasped Otabek’s wrist suddenly. Their eyes locked once more, Otabek feeling almost intimidated by the intensity of his stare.

 

“You came,” Yuri said, disbelieving. Otabek nodded slowly in reply. “Why?”

 

It was Otabek’s turn to look shocked. “I had to see you,”

 

“Why?” Yuri repeated, eyes shining with tears.

 

Otabek’s eyebrows pinched together slightly. “If I couldn’t see you, it wouldn’t feel real… that you’re back,”

 

“You should be mad at me,” Yuri sniffed, dropping Otabek’s hand. “Why aren’t you mad at me?”

 

“Oh, Yura. I couldn’t possibly be mad at you. I’ve been so worried…” He could feel his own tears welling up now. “It’s you who should be mad at me,”

 

“But… I… I’m not…” Yuri struggled with his words, hands coming together in his lap to wring nervously. “You deserve someone better than me,”

 

“Yura, please,” Otabek breathed, droplets falling down his face now. “Please don’t… don’t blame yourself…”

 

“You think I want to?” Yuri shouted, making Otabek jump. “You think I’m okay with knowing what I’ve done? There’s no-one else whose fault it could be…”

 

Otabek stood, stumbling backwards away from the bed. He had been told to expect a difference, for Yuri to be highly strung… but he had not expected Yuri to outright blame himself for what happened to him. “Yuri, it’s no-ones fault but theirs! They did this to you! You never asked…”

 

“You know what they did to me, then?” Yuri sobbed. A chill ran down Otabek’s spine – he had of course made assumptions as to what Yuri went through, as much as he didn’t want his suspicions to be true. He stepped closer to Yuri again.

 

“You don’t have to tell me anything, Yuri,” the alpha whispered. “But _nothing_ that happened was your fault! Please know that!”

 

“It wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t omega!” Yuri cried, curling up into a ball. “They only raped me because of what I am!”

 

The wind was knocked right out of Otabek. He stared down at Yuri’s crying form on the bed, at a complete loss as to what to do. He reached out to Yuri’s quivering shoulder. The blonde peered up at him, gasping slightly when Otabek pulled his slender body into a clumsy embrace. He held Yuri tight as he sobbed into the alpha’s chest, shifting them to sit beside Yuri. They rocked back and forth soothingly, Otabek never relenting his grip around Yuri’s shoulders. The sobs petered out, eventually, and so he relaxed his arms, but still pulled Yuri close.

 

“I’m so - _hic_ \- sorry Beka - _hic-,”_ Yuri sniffled. “I never - _hic_ \- I never wanted to - _hic_ \- not without you - _hic_ -,”

 

“Shhh,” Otabek mumbled into Yuri’s head, where he had nuzzled into. “You don’t have to say anything to me, please know that. If you want to, I will listen – but please don’t upset yourself on my part,”

 

“I’m sorry, I never wanted to, I never ever wanted to…” Yuri was babbling the same words over and over, slowly becoming more and more muffled as he buried his face into Otabek’s chest. Otabek just held him, stroking his head soothingly, just like he would when they were snuggled up in bed, carding his fingers through Yuri’s soft locks. Yuri continued to mumble into Otabek’s shirt, seemingly unaware of the fact that words were still spilling from his mouth. It didn’t matter to the alpha, who would hold Yuri until the end of time, if that’s what made him feel safe.

 

Yuri’s face emerged a short while later, red and splotchy from the tears. He glanced up at Otabek’s face almost shyly – but then his face cracked, and he burst into giggles. Otabek blinked, confused. Yuri just kept on laughing, doubling over to even clutch at his stomach, bursting into another fit everytime he looked back up at Otabek’s face. Eventually, the laughter petered out, but Otabek was left in a state of confusion.

 

“Sorry,” Yuri smiled. “God, how embarrassing, crying in front of you like that. Must have looked so stupid,”

 

“Of course you didn’t Yura…” Otabek started, before being cut off again.

 

“That was such a dumb reaction, sorry. God I must look a mess,”

 

Otabek just gaped at the blonde, who rose from the bed and excused himself to the bathroom in order to tidy himself up. The alpha’s mind reeled with the sequence of events that had just unfolded, the change in Yuri’s demeanour so quick it almost gave him whiplash.

 

He was distracted by the door cracking open, and Nikolai entering the room again. He sat next to Otabek, his face furrowed in a heavy frown.

 

“He wasn’t ready,” Otabek whispered. “I shouldn’t have come to see him so early. He wasn’t ready at all,”

 

“Son,” Nikolai sighed, patting Otabek on the shoulder. “Nobody knew what to anticipate. Don’t be so hard on yourself,”

 

The Kazakh’s face was twisted into a mixture of confusion and anger. He was so annoyed at himself, for expecting that Yuri knew what he wanted – of course he wasn’t ready to see him. It had barely been a day since he was freed.

 

“Grandpa!” Yuri exclaimed, stepping back into the room, his face looking much less red now, but his bloodshot eyes betrayed him. “You didn’t need to come back yet. You can stay at your hotel, get a good nights rest,”

 

Nikolai huffed slightly, leaning on his stick to stand up. He approached his grandson, placing a wrinkled hand on his petite shoulder. “I will, soon. Whilst I was outside, Yakov came. He said that Yuuri is ready for visitors, if you want to see him?”

 

“Oh,” Yuri replied simply. “I… I don’t want to disturb him. He’s probably busy with Victor I guess,”

 

“Sit down, Yura,” His Grandfather said, leading him back towards the bed. Yuri curled up against the head of the bed. When Otabek made to move, Yuri grabbed his hand, tugging the alpha to sit next to him again. Otabek and Nikolai exchanged glances, unsure of what to tell Yuri.

 

“What’s wrong?” he laughed shakily. His eyes darted between the two other men. “Oh God,” Yuri visibly paled, clutching tighter to Otabek’s hand. His mouth opened and closed, unable to form words.

 

“Victor isn’t here at the moment,” Nikolai explained, but he was interrupted before he could go further. Yuri’s face was contorted with rage.

 

“I’ll kill him!” he spat. “If he’s left Katsudon after this, I swear I will, the piece of shit! How could he do this?!”

 

“Language, Yura!” His Grandfather exclaimed, which shut Yuri up instantly, although he looked no less enraged. “Let me finish. Victor isn’t here yet, because he is ill. He went into an alpha drop when he found out about Yuuri’s pregnancy. He’s still not come around,”

 

“There’s no such thing,” Yuri snorted, although there was an edge of uncertainty in his voice.

 

“I’m afraid there is,” Nikolai continued. “Although it is rare. Most of us travelled down here for your rescue, but we were advised not to move him, as it may cause him further distress. He is still in Berlin, with Christophe,”

 

“You can’t be serious,” Yuri whispered, all anger having now disappeared from his face. He turned to Otabek. “Will he be okay?”

 

“I’m sure he will,” the alpha replied, although uncertain. “The problem is, we don’t know how to get him out of it. Chris keeps him updated with everything, but says he just stares blankly at the ceiling. We don’t know if he even knows that you’ve been recued yet,”

 

Yuri worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “Does Katsudon know?”

 

Nikolai shook his head. “Yuuri, although he can have visitors, isn’t doing so well himself. His family don’t want to upset him further,”

 

“I’ll go see him,” Yuri said, back straightening up. “If you think he doesn’t need told, then I won’t tell him. But I’m not going to lie to him either, if he asks where Victor is,”

 

Otabek grimaced slightly. He had not seen Yuuri yet, again the doctors were worried that the presence of another alpha would be detrimental to his health. He had only heard what Mari had told him in passing – that he had had an operation on his hand, that he hasn’t miscarried, that he needed a blood transfusion. She had only gone for some food and drinks though, and Yuuri’s parents apparently refused to leave his side.

 

“I can take you there, but…” Nikolai hesitated. “I’m afraid we can’t go in with you. Yuuri is very shaken, and it is uncertain how being around other alphas will affect him,”

 

“But you’re not an alpha,” Yuri replied, almost desperately. “Surely you can come in with me?”

 

Nikolai shook his head. “I’m no alpha. But I am a man, whom he hardly knows. It would be unwise, I think,”

 

Yuri took a deep breath, his hands fidgeting in his lap and he considered. Then, with a nod, he rose from the bed and grasped his drip stand. “Can you show me where he is?”

 

******

 

Yuuri grunted as the nurse shifted him over, pushing a pillow underneath his left side. She hardly spoke any English (and no Russian or Japanese, but Yuuri usually found those were a given) but she said something about sores on his skin. So, he let himself be manhandled into whatever position was deemed the best for him. He spared a glance back over to his parents, who had diligently sat with him since before he regained consciousness. He had no idea why, he’d been terrible company – he was exhausted, spending most of the time drifting in and out of sleep, and hardly speaking a word when he was awake. But his parents and his sister sat by his bed, chatting away to him about almost anything, as long as it was light-hearted. He didn’t feel like anything was wrong, but he desperately wanted to know if his baby was okay.

 

“Yuuri,” his mother said. “You have another visitor. Do you want them to come in?”

 

Yuuri’s heart leapt slightly, thinking perhaps it was Victor. He squinted towards the door (his glasses had been broken during the rescue, so Yuuri’s world was currently very blurry), but saw a small, pale figure instead.

 

“Yura,” he croaked. He managed a small smile. Yuri made his way into the room, pulling along a drip stand. Yuri moved round to the bedside, his eyes wide as he looked at the figure in the bed.

 

Sure, Yuuri looked a mess. He didn’t expect otherwise. One arm was up in a sling, covered in a thick bandage from his operation. Although the painkillers were working wonderfully, it still throbbed slightly. He already felt sick, especially since the operation and the morphine, so he didn’t want to ask for more. He imagined he mustn’t smell very good, having not been able to shower or bathe since his operation. His hair was probably a greasy mess on top of his head.

 

Yuri’s hand reached out to lay his hand on Yuuri’s, which was permanently resting on his belly. “How are you feeling?”

 

Yuuri smiled dopily. “Free,”

 

“Good,” Yuri replied, swallowing thickly. “And…” his eyes trailed down to Yuuri’s belly.

 

“Still there,” Yuuri sighed, thankfully. “But I wish I could see her,”

 

“Her?”

 

“Mm,” Yuuri murmured, closing his eyes. “Sometimes it feels right to say her, sometimes him. Makes it feel real,”

 

“She is real,” Yuri squeezed his friend’s hand, earning another smile. Yuuri drifted off into a light sleep, half-dreaming about a little girl with silver hair.

 

When he awoke again, Yuri was gone. His parents were dozing in their chairs. Strangely, he felt more alert. The throb in his hand hadn’t gone away, but some of the morphine-induced fog had lifted from his brain. He took in his surroundings as best he could – he was in a large, white room, in a bed surrounded by machines.  A monitor next to him beeped away steadily, a bag of clear fluid hung from the top of his bed, attached to the crook of his elbow by a long tube. He wished he could see his parent’s faces better, but even without his glasses he could tell they looked worn. His father seemed to have more wrinkles on his forehead, his mother looked slightly thinner. He sat up slowly, trying not to disturb them by rustling the sheets. He rubbed absent-mindedly at his belly.

 

He felt bad for Yuri, he hadn’t been in much of a state to receive visitors – he was glad his friend had come anyway. He hadn’t really had time to worry about him since they were rescued, as he had spent most of the ambulance journey blacked out. He remembered snippets, but couldn’t understand any words as they were all in German. He had gotten the jist well enough – he needed surgery on his hand, he was losing too much blood. Otto had tried to translate, to tell him what was happening. Yuuri looked down at his bandaged hand, secure in its sling – his fingertips poked out slightly, it looked like he was wearing an absurdly shaped mitten. His breath caught when he tried to wiggle his fingers, but he was glad to see that he could indeed move each one.

 

Yuuri’s thoughts turned to the father of his child. Nobody had mentioned Victor once, and he didn’t exactly expect that to be a good sign. He had his reservations about whether or not Victor would want anything to do with him following his ordeal, but surely he wouldn’t walk away from his child? He had wanted a baby even more than Yuuri, and for much longer. Victor loved children, was wonderfully patient and caring; he was just an overgrown child himself in most ways, so he would always have fun with the Nishigori triplets, or the particularly young kids at the rink. Yuuri had always known that Victor would make an amazing father.

 

But what if he was wrong the whole time? If Victor’s absence told him one thing, it was that he was disposable.

 

Yuuri sighed heavily. He wanted to badly to get out of bed, but judging by the rails on the side, he wasn’t allowed to. Not to mention he was hooked up to various devices that he was too afraid to unplug himself from. He leant back on the pillows again, and his head met something hard and cold. He reached up with his good hand, pulling down what looked like a remote control, a bright green button on it that read ‘Assistance’. Not wanting to bother his parents, he pressed down on the button.

 

No more than a minute later, a nurse poked her head around the door. Yuuri beckoned her in, and was surprised to see that Otto came in behind her.

 

“Hello, Yuuri,” he smiled, his voice hushed so as not to wake the sleeping couple. “Is everything alright?”

 

Yuuri nodded. “I was just wondering if it would be possible to see a doctor about my baby?”

 

Otto translated to the nurse, whose reply was translated back to Yuuri. “Yes, of course. An Obstetrician can come and see you tomorrow, if that’s okay?”

 

Yuuri nodded once again, thanking both Otto and the nurse. After checking that he didn’t need anything else, they took their leave.

 

“Wait, Otto!” Yuuri said a little too loudly as the police officer reached the door. His parents began to stir from their sleep. Otto turned back to Yuuri. “I was wondering actually, could you update me on what’s happened? I don’t really know much other than my hand is very sore,” he forced a laugh.

 

Otto glanced over at Yuuri’s parents, who were now blinking blearily. “Of course, Yuuri. I’ll stay for a while,”

 

Yuuri smiled slightly at his parents, who beamed back at him. His mother rose, coming towards the bed, leaning over her son to give him a tentative hug. “How are you feeling?” she whispered in Japanese.

 

“Better,” he replied in their mother tongue. “I want to know what’s happened… and what will happen next,”

 

Hiroko looked oddly concerned as she pulled back from Yuuri – she probably thought he was nowhere near ready to have a conversation about his future, but he felt like he needed some perspective back in his life. He didn’t even know what day it was, and he wanted to become grounded back to reality.

 

Otto had taken a seat next to Yuuri’s parents. “So, Yuuri. I’m glad to see you are feeling better. I can answer some questions for you if you like,”

 

Yuuri nodded, settling himself into a sitting position, facing the three people at the side of his bed. “What day is it?”

 

“It’s Saturday evening,”

 

Yuuri let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Where are we?”

 

“South Germany, very close to Austria. This was the closest hospital with an intensive care unit, and surgeons who were able to operate on your hand. They can come and see you tomorrow, they will want to know how you are getting on,”

 

“I didn’t lose my baby,” Yuuri said, more like a statement than a question. Otto smiled and shook his head. Yuuri rested his good hand on his belly again, rubbing small circles with his thumb. He felt tears well in his eyes – he hadn’t wanted it to happen like this, but he wanted to make it feel as normal as possible. “Well, I guess I have some news for you,” he looked at his parents. “You’re going to be grandparents,”

 

Hiroko sobbed, almost collapsing against the bed in her rush to hug her son. Otto stealthily pulled down the barrier on the bed, allowing Yuuri’s legs to swing over the side. Soon the omega was invisible behind his parents, who had both encircled him in a hug. When they pulled away, Hiroko was sniffling, Toshiya had a large smile on his face. They sat back down, but Yuuri’s hand never left Hiroko’s. He took a deep breath, looking back at Otto.

 

“I suppose I just want to know what happens now?”

 

Otto hesitated, rubbing his chin slightly. “Many things,” he started. “Once you are better, I’m afraid you need to give a formal statement to the police about what happened,”

 

A jolt of fear ran down Yuuri’s spine. That meant recounting his experience, that meant admitting it was real.

 

“If it brings them to justice sooner, I’ll do it now,” he said shakily, his tone dripping with bitterness.

 

“When you’re a little better, I think,” Otto said, not unkindly. “It’s unwise to rush these things,”

 

“Will me and Yura have to give our statements separately? Or can we do it together?”

 

Otto glanced uncertainly at Yuuri’s parents. “Separately, I’m afraid. But I will be in the room with you,”

 

Yuuri nodded. “And once I’ve given my statement?”

 

“The aim is to get you better, and get you home. The priority is yours and your baby’s wellbeing – you can go wherever you want to have the baby, and once you have support in place, I imagine you’ll need to come back to Germany for the trail, if there is one,”

 

“If?”

 

“We are hoping that the plea will be guilty, we have no reason to believe it won’t be, but it can be impossible to predict. But if that’s the case, you’ll never have to set foot in Germany again,”

 

Yuuri let out a shaky exhale. That all relied on whether his kidnappers would play by the rules… but in his experience, he learned that they wanted to cause trouble.

 

“Thank you, Otto,” he said. “I feel much better now,”

 

Otto nodded, rising from his chair. He bid goodbye to the Katsuki family, and exited the room.

 

“Yuuri,” his father said. “We’re both very proud of you,”

 

Yuuri looked at his father with wide eyes. _Proud_ of him? Why?

 

“We have always been proud of you,” his father continued, as if reading his mind. “Of everything you’ve ever done. You are so brave, son, and we will always be here for you,”

 

Yuuri ducked his head to hide the tears welling in his eyes. His mother squeezed his hand, moving it back towards his belly.

 

“And we are so happy to have a grandchild on the way,”

 

****** 

 

_The alpha leered over him, his face shrouded in black smoke._

_“You didn’t even know. Some mate you are. Some alpha, not knowing your omega is pregnant!”_

_Victor tried to move away from the choking aura of the alpha above him, but he was paralysed. He lay helplessly, watching as he pulled a naked Yuuri from the surrounding smoke. Yuuri’s face was shadowed by his hair. The alpha pulled him close, rubbing a hand on his belly._

_“You forgot about your baby,” the alpha sneered. “You left it to die. You did nothing to help it. You don’t deserve either of them,”_

_Victor wanted to shake his head, to scream that it was a mistake, that he wanted nothing more than to hold his Yuuri with their child between them. Yuuri’s stomach began to swell, his skin stretching and scarring as it ballooned outwards. The alpha leant low, next to Victor’s ear, sneering in his ear… “Worthless… useless… unfit to be a mate… unfit to be a father…”_

_If Victor could cry, he would be drowning. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Yuuri’s growing form, his chest expanding now, too, sagging downwards as they became heavy with milk. His stomach kept growing, angry red gashes tearing through his skin._

_He was coming for him, he was. He was going to scoop his Yuuri up in his arms, make him feel safe again. But he could do nothing, he was trapped in this void, forced to watch as his own child tore Yuuri apart._

_The alpha was behind Yuuri now, nosing into his neck, a hand coming to play with one ever-growing breast. “Not long now, Nikiforov. You’ll see your little brat soon,”_

_The alpha tried to shake his head, to look away from Yuuri’s splitting skin, but he couldn’t. He had to watch in horror as blood began to flow from Yuuri’s bump, down his legs in crimson waves, pooling on the floor, soaking Victor’s own skin._

_And Yuuri began to scream, his hands clutching the alpha behind him, who continued to nibble at the omega’s neck, his eyes boring into Victor’s breaking soul._

_Yuuri wailed and cried as his body was torn in half, sobbing desperately on the alpha’s shoulder. One final sickening shriek was torn from him, and Victor watched in horror as his baby fell from Yuuri’s body._

_There was silence as the alpha plucked the baby up off the floor, pale and unmoving. He shoved the baby’s head in Victor’s face._

_“Have a cuddle with your little brat, Victor,” he placed the baby on Victor’s chest, crushing in its weight despite its tiny size. “Let it be a reminder of the time you forgot about baby Nikiforov, of the time that you didn’t realise that Yuuri was pregnant, of the time you left Yuuri when he needed you the most,”_

_Yuuri’s body fell backwards, but he was caught by the alpha. His skin began to shrink back, stitching itself back together, until his body showed no sign of the life it had carried. The alpha cradled Yuuri in his arms, before they both disappeared into the smoke._

_Yuuri._

_Pregnant._

_Baby._

_Nikiforov._

_Yuuri Baby._

_Yuuri Pregnant._

_Baby Nikiforov._

_Yuuri Preganant Baby Nikiforov._

_Yuuri Baby Yuuri Baby._

_Yuuri Yuuri Yuuri…_

“Yuuri!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victor has a nightmare in which he sees Yuuri have the baby, but it unfortunately doesn't survive. In the nightmare, he is also goaded by Boss/Al, telling him that he is a terrible person basically. Then he wakes up, now snapped out of his drop. 
> 
> Please let me know what your thoughts on this chapter were - it was quite difficult for me to write the reunions (hence why I only did two in this chapter lol) so I would really love some feedback! Also the story is a lot more flexible now, so if you want to see anything in the story then let me know and I will try and write it in! 
> 
> I do quite enjoy writing but struggle for inspiration sometimes. If you have any ideas or prompts or anything you'd like to read, let me know! I am probably best at writing angst haha! 
> 
> See you next chapter, where we'll see Victuuri reunited! <3


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